WITH THE EMPRESS 
DOWAGER 



With the 

Empress Dowager 

By 

Katharine A. Carl 



Illustrated by the Author 
and with Photographs 




New York 
The Century Co. 

1905 










Copyright, 1905, by 
The Century Co. 



Published No'vember, 



jgos. 



TO SIR ROBERT HART 

To whose helpful encouragement I owe so 
much, I affectionately dedicate this account 
of my experiences at the Court of the coun- 
try he has so long and faithfully served. 

Katharine A. Carl. 

iVew York, May, 1905. 



Contents 



PAGE 

Chapter I. My Presentation and First Day 

AT THE Chinese Court 3 

Drive Out to the Summer Palace— Presentation— Be- 
ginning the Portrait— Luncheon— The Palace Theater 
—My Pavilion within the Precincts. 

Chapter II. Personal Appearance of Her 

Majesty— A Chinese Repast— Boating . 18 

Second Sitting— The Siesta— Her Majesty's Barge— A 
Promenade on the Lake. 

Chapter III. The Palace of the Emperor^s 

Father 27 

A Chinese Palace— Gardens— The Chinese Poem- 
Tombstones of Pets— The Highway from Peking to 
the Summer Palace— Chinese Modes of Locomotion 
—The Seventh Prince. 

Chapter IY. Her Majesty's Throne-room . 34 

Clocks— Third Sitting— A Promenade in the Gar- 
dens—The Orchard— The Empress Dowager's Love 
of Flowers— Customs as to Fruits and Flowers. 

Chapter V. The Young Empress and Ladies 

OF the Court 42 

The Young Empress— The Secondary Wife— The 
* Princesses— Children by Adoption— Chinese Widows 

vii 



Contents 

PAGE 

—The Princess Imperial— The Relationships of the 
Princesses of the Blood— The Maids and Tiring- 
women— Women of the Eighth Banner— The phinese 
Woman at Court— Slaves. 

Chapter VI. Continuation of the Portrait 50 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Painting in the 
Throne-room — The Empress Dowager's Voice — Chinese 
Opinion as to Portraits of Royalty— Walks with Her 
Majesty— Her Dogs— Their Pavilions— Cats— The Em- 
press Dowager's Gift of "Me-lah." 

Chapter VII. Festivities at Court .... 57 

The Celebration of His Majesty's Birthday— Invita- 
tion from the Empress Dowager to be Present— Birth- 
day Plays— The Imperial Actors— Birthday Decora- 
tions of the Palace Courts and Buildings— Presents- 
First Gala Performance— Luncheon in the Court of the 
Theater— The Mat-sheds at the Palace— Visitors— Chi- 
nese Courtesy— The Imperial Theater at Summer Pal- 
ace— Actresses— Customs of Manchu Women. 

Chapter VIII. His Majesty the Emperor . . 64 

Beginning of his Reign— The Name of an Emperor— 
The Manchu Dynasty— Personality of the Emperor— 
Appearance— His Orientalism— His Dreams of Prog- 
ress—His Edicts— Despatches— The Emperor's Pal- 
ace and Attendants— His Studies and Talents— Early 
Rising— His Meals— Conventionalities Observed- 
Dislike of Public Functions. 

Chapter IX. The Eiviperor's Birthday ... 73 

Morning Salutations— His Majesty's Throne-room— 
The Imperial Pearl— Buttons Denoting Rank of Offi- 
cials— Manchu Buttons— ' 'Lever'^ of the Empress Dow- 
ager-Court Costume— Young Empress in Court Attire 
—Going in State to Audience Hall— Official Congratu- 
lation by High Officials and Princes— The Young Em- 
press's Palace— Presentation of Jade Emblem (Ruyie) 
—Young Empress's Official Congratulation to the 
Emperor— Simplicity of Attire of Empress Dowager 
—Grand Theatrical Representation at Palace Thea- 
ter—Imperial Congratulatory Poem— Splendid Cos- 

viii 



Contents 

PAGE 

tumes— Luncheon in the Court of the Theater— Chil- 
dren at Court— The Emperor's Presents to the Manchu 
Nobles and High Officials— The Finale at the Theater 
—Spectacular Procession— Thanks of the Princes and 
Nobles— Bowing to the "Great Ancestress"— The 
Procession to the Hall of Ancestral Tablets. 

Chapter X. Peking— The Sea Palace ... 87 

His Majesty's Sacrifice to his Ancestors— The Empress 
Dowager's Favorite Summer-house— The Sacred Pic- 
ture—The United States Legation at Peking— Mrs. 
Conger's Relations with Chinese Ladies— The Sea 
Palace— The Boats of the Lake— Our Resting-place at 
the Sea Palace— Promenade on the Lake— The Eunuch 
Li-Wun-ti — Memory — Story-telling — The Island — 
Temple Gardens— Two Temples— Cathedral within 
the Precincts— Theater. 

Chapter XI. Some Characteristics op Her 

Majesty — Second Visit to the Sea y 

Palace 100 "^ 

The Empress Dowager's Magnetic Personality— Inter- 
esting Study— Her Chinese Appellations— Hall of Mon- 
golian Princes— Dragon Wall— Fruits Sent to the 
Palace— Repast at the Sea Palace— Promenade in the 
Train of Her Majesty— The Imperial Gourds— A Prom- 
enade in the Rain— Rest in Hall of Mongolian Princes 
—Archery in China— The Sunset Call. 

Chapter XII. Return to the Summer Palace 111 y 



The Empress Dowager as a Psychological Study— See- 
ing Her Face to Face— Work on Portrait Resumed— 
Easels and Cases for Materials for Work on Sacred 
Picture— Walks— Refreshments for the Promenades- 
Imperial Tea— The Empress Dowager's Tea and Tea- 
cups—Her Deftness with her Fingers— Her Thought- 
fulness. 

Chapter XIII. The Steam-launch— Semi-an- 
nual Sacrifices to Confucius . . . .117 

Chinese Tolerance in Religious Matters— Halls of Con- 
fucius—The Odes to Peace— Burning the Offerings. 

ix 



Contents 



PAGE 

Chapter XIV. The Palace Eunuchs . . . 123 

Their Grades— The Chief Eunuchs — Li Lien Ying— 
His Power with the Courtiers— "L'Eminence Grise" 
of the Court— The Shut-in Position of Chinese Im- 
perial Rulers— Need of an Unofficial Messenger— Per- 
sonal Appearance of Li Lien Ying— Sui, Her Majesty's 
Second Eunuch— Punishment of Eunuchs— Pupils — 
OpiumSmoking— Pets— Good Manners of the Eunuchs. 

Chapter XV. Literary Tastes and Accom- 
plishments OF the Empress Dowager . 130 

The Empress of the Eastern Palace— Co-Regency —Her 
Majesty's Literary Tastes— Her Love of Heroic Poems 
—Her Memory— The Chinese Joan of Arc— The Em- 
press, Widow of Tung-Chih— The Empress Dowager's 
Reader and her Favorite Authors— Her Love of the 
Theater— Her Humor— A Great Stickler for Purity of 
Language — Li-Hung-Chang's Chinese — How the Em- 
press Dowager Speaks It— Her Writing of the Great 
Characters— The Chinese Written Character— Paint- « 
ing— Embroidery— Her Designs for Floral Decora- 
tions—Cultivation of her Person— The Empress 
Dowager an Epicure— Her Soaps and Perfumes— Her 
Personal Magnetism as a Power over Animals— 
The Escaped Bird— The Katydid. 

Chapter XVI. The Great Audience Hall . 142 

Hours of the Audiences— The Audience Hall at Sum- 
mer Palace— Its Interior— Ancient and Modern 
Thrones and Dais— Audiences of Heads of Depart- 
ments—The Grand Council— Official Despatches — 
Telegrams— The Cushions for Members of the Grand 
Council— Special Audiences— The Introducing Eunuch 
—Amusing Subterfuge of Officials at Audience— The 
Young Emperor and Tiresome Official— Sacred Quality 
of the Imperial Person— Mode of Address of Courtiers 
—The Kow-tow. 



Chapter XVII. The Summer Palace . . . 149 

The Empress Dowager's Favorite Palace— The Marble 
Terrace— The Hills of the Summer Palace— The Tem- 
ple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas— Memorial Arches 
—The Marble Bridge— The Canals— Camel-back 



Contents 



Bridges— Chinese Architecture— Utilitarian Spirit of 
the Chinese— Flowers and Fields in the Park of Sum- 
mer Palace— Grand Peony Mountain— The Sacred 
Buddha-Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas— Ruins 
of Old Summer Palace— Views from the Summer Palace 
Belvederes— When Their Majesties Go Abroad. 

Chapter XVIII. Festival of the Harvest 

Moon ,156 

The Chinese Love of Festivals— The Fruit of Immor- 
tality—The Little Handmaiden and her White Rab- 
bit—The Play at the Palace Theater on the Mid- 
Autumn Festival— Dinner in the Imperial Loge— 
Procession to the Moonlit Terrace— Floral Pai-lou 
to the Moon— "Bowing" to the Moon— The Poem 
to the Moon— The Burnt-Offering— Return to the 
Palace on the Moonlit Lake— Continuation of the 
Portrait— Some Disadvantages of Too Much Pleasure 
—Hospitality of the Empress Dowager— Chinese Con- 
ventions and Traditions— Wonderful Opportunities for • 
Picturesqueness in Painting the Empress Dowager 
—Restrictions Imposed by Chinese Tradition— First 
Exhibition of the "Sacred Picture "—Description of 
First Portrait of the Empress Dowager— How I Should 
Have Liked to Paint Her. 

Chapter XIX. A Garden Party 165 

Reception to the Diplomatic Corps and Ladies of the 
Legation— The Ceremony of Reception of the Ladies 
—The Empress Dowager's Cordiality— Taking Tea in 
the Audience Hall— Luncheon in the Throne-room — 
Promenade on the Lake— Visit to the Palace and Tem- 
ple on the Island— The Marble Boat— Lack of Harmony 
among the Guests at Garden Party— Chinese Com- 
ment on our Costumes and Appearance— Dislike of 
Blonde Hair. 

Chapter XX. Beginning a Second Por- 
trait OF THE Empress Dowager . . .171 

Putting the Characters Representing Her Majesty's ♦ 
Titles and her Two Seals on the Portrait— Beginning 
the Small Portrait -Toilette d'lntimit^— "Hailo " and 
''.Shadza "— The Palace Painters— Their Manner of 
Working— New Variety of Chrysanthemum— The 

xi 



Contents 



PAGE 

" Peafowl Feather "—The Audience Hall Pianos— Her 
Majesty's Ideas of Dancing. 

Chapter XXI. A European Circus at the 

Palace 178 

The Posters— Sites for the Ring— The Turnip Field— 
Their Majesties Go in State across the Lake— The 
House-boats— The Young Empress's State Boat— The 
Imperial Loges at the Circus— Invited Ofl&eials— 
Bands of Music— A Glimpse of the Manchu Princes 
and Some High Officials— The Son of the Imperial 
Princess— The Opera Glasses of Their Majesties— 
What Interested Them Most. 

Chapter XXII. Palace Customs 185 

Early Rising— When the Empress Dowager Sleeps— 
Her Bedroom— Irregular Hours except for the Au- 
dience—Domestic Duties— Her Favorite Game— Her 
Luck— Her Meals— Conventions Observed at the Em- 
press Dowager's Table— Her Dishes— The Hour of the 
Siesta— Her Promenades— The Days of the Theater— 
When Their Majesties Dine Together— Rigorous Ob- 
servance of Fasts at the Table of the Empress 
Dowager— Court Etiquette— The Graceful Bow— Rigid 
Observance of Court Customs— Her Majesty's Re- 
proof of Too Indulgent Mother. 

Chapter XXIII. Her Majesty's Anxiety— 

Her Birthday 194 

Her Anxiety— Exterior and Interior Troubles— Prep- 
arations for Her Majesty's Birthday— Her Desire to 
Have Everything as Simple as Possible and to Spare 
Expense— The Emperor's Wish to Celebrate with the 
Usual Pomp, and Desire to Bestow a New Title upon 
the Empress Dowager— Difference of Her Majesty's 
Interest in her Own and the Emperor's Birthday— 
When She Received the Congratulations— Early Hour 
of Congratulation— The Interior of the Throne-room 
and Decorations for the Birthday— Winter Court Dress 
of the Ladies— The Empress Dowager's Fatigue. 

Chapter XXIV. The Winter Palace ... 200 

The Empress Dowager's Love of the Summer Palace 
-Return to Peking— Young Empress and Ladies Pre- 

xii 



Contents 

PAGE 

cede and Receive Her on the Threshold of her Own 
Throne-room— City of Peking, the Palace within the 
Forbidden City— Its many Walls within Walls— The 
Guard Houses— The Ceremony of Reception— The 
Throne-room of the Winter Palace— The Interior 
Dome— Her Majesty's Sitting-room— Private Chapel 
—Portraits of Queen Victoria— The Three Great Halls 
—The Spirit-Stairway— The Central Hall— Presents 
from European Royalties— Where I was to Paint— 
The Emperor^s Precincts— Tradition at the Winter 
Palace. 

Chapter XXV. Peking— Beginning the Por- 
trait FOR St. Louis 211 

Legation Quarter —Morning Ride to the Palace — Splen- 
did Walls of the Palace and City— The Streets in the 
Forbidden City— A Funeral— The Mongolians— Beg- 
gars at the Gate— Unsatisfactoriness of Studio at 
Winter Palace— Her Majesty Orders It Remodeled— 
Beginning Portrait for St. Louis— Imperial Parapher- 
nalia and Insignia of Royalty— Importance of Pro- 
priety—The Throne— Her Majesty's Costume for the 
Portrait— Pearl Mantle— First Sketch— Stretching the 
Great Canvas. 

Chapter XXVI. Some Social Customs . . . 219 

Manchu Ladies of the Palace— Presentation, on Their 
Marriage, of Manchu Noblewomen— Bridal Costume 
—Sedan Chairs— By Whom Bride is Presented— The 
Young Empress's Graciousness— A Daughter in a 
Manchu Family— Comparison of Manchu and Amer- 
ican Girl— The Unmarried Daughter of the Manchus 
—Her Position in the Family— Social Qualities— The 
Manchu Men— Sports— Costume— Young Dandies— 
Concubinage— Early Marriages of Men— Secondary 
Wives — The Family— Secondary Wives of an Em- 
peror—Their Rank— Position in the Palace— Title. 

Chapter XXVII. Present-Giving 230 

The Palace as the Heart of Empire— Occasions on 
which Presents are Given (Private, Official, and Fes- 
tivals)— Style of Presents Given by the Empress 
Dowager— Presents to the Ladies of Legation— Birth- 
day Presents— Some Presents Received by Me from 
Her Majesty, 

xiii 



Contents 



PAGE 



Chapter XXVIII. Soihe Winter Days at the 

Palace 237 

The Portrait for America— Details and Accessories of 
the Same— Days at the Palace— The Meals in Winter 
—Winter Evenings— Learning Chinese— Occupations 
of the Ladies— The Young Empress's Birthday— 
Days of Mourning at the Palace— Anniversary of 
Death of the Emperor Tung-Chih— The Empress 
Dowager's Sorrow. 

Chapter XXIX. Religious Rites . . . . . 245 

The Three Great Religions- TheTemple of Heaven— 
The Emperor as High Priest— Preparations for the 
Sacrifice to Heaven— Buddhism and Taoism— Confu- 
cius— Origin of Chinese Religious Ceremonies— Vital- 
ity of China as a Nation— Its Amalgamation of Con- 
quering Races— The Manehus— Some Nature Worship 
—The Festival of the Awakening of Spring at the 
Palace— Guardians of the Cocoons. 

Chapter XXX. Her Majesty the Empress 

Dowager 253 

Her Family— Presentation at Court— Fifth Wife of the 
Emperor Hsien-Feng— Favorite of Empress Motherand 
First Wife— Birth of a Son— Death of Emperor Hsien- 
Feng— Empress of Western Palace— Co-Regents for 
Young Emperor Tung-Chih— Friendliness of the Two 
Co-Regents — State of China at Beginning of Regency — 
Intrigue— The Anti-foreign Princes— Prince Kung— 
First Political Act of Young Empress of Western Pal- 
ace— Support of the Princes of the Blood— The Emperor 
• Tung-Chih Begins to Reign— Death of Tung-Chih— Re- 
sumption of the Regency by the Empress Dowager- 
Minority of Kwang-Hsu— Death of Empress of East- 
em Palace— Policy of Empress Dowager— The Em- 
peror Kwang-Hsu Begins to Reign— His Policy— The 
War with Japan— Change of Policy by the Emperor— 
The Progress Party— The Ultra-Conservatives— Return 
from Retirement of the Empress Dowager— The Em- 
peror's Edict- So-called Coup d'Etat— Rout of Prog- 
ress Party— Punishment of Ringleaders— Effect on the 
Emperor— Reign of Emperor "Assisted "by Empress 
Dowager— The Secret Society of the Boxers— Its 
Growth— Boxers in the Capital— -Boxers among the 

xiv 



Contents 

PAGE 

Princes of the Blood— The Outbreak in Peking— 
Eeported Cause of Outbreak— The Emperor and Em- 
press Dowager's Attempt to Check Movement — The Im- 
perial Military Forces— Position of Legation Quarter 
in Peking— British Legation— Eeturn of Their Maj- 
esties to Peking— Edicts Issued— Arrival of Allies 
in Peking— Flight of Her Majesty and the Court— 
The Route to Singan-Fu — Hardships Endured— 
Incidents. 



Chapter XXXI. Her Majesty the Empress 

Dowager (Continued) 270 

Her Charities— Incident of the Boxer Rising— Widows' 
Petition to the Empress Dowager— Her Majesty's 
Action thereon— Her Extravagance— Extravagance in 
the Palace— Efforts of Past Emperors for Economy— 
Cost of Food in the Palace— Her Majesty's Personal 
Extravagance- Her Jewels — Wardrobe— Examples of 
HerEconomy— Her Patriotism— Scheme of Taxation— 
Her Penetration— Her Judgment— Her Prejudices- 
Sarcasm— Her Determination— Tact— Social Instinct 
—Reception of Young German Prince. 

Chapter XXXII. The Chinese New Year . 279 

Greatest Festival of the Year— Decorations of the Pal- 
ace—Imitation Money— New Year's Presents— Work 
on Portrait— Some Changes— Removal of the Court to 
Sea Palace — My Studio at Sea Palace — New Year's 
Audience of Ladies of the Legation — Congratulations 
— Lantern Festival — The Illuminated Procession — 
The Double Dragon — The Flaming Pearl — Fireworks 
in the Palace — Day Rockets — Old Customs as to the 
Fireworks in the Palace Grounds. 



Chapter XXXIII. Continuation of the St. 

Louis Portrait 287 

Propitious Date for Finishing it — Changing Orna- 
ments — Frame for Portrait — Spring Days — Her 
Majesty's Walks — Inspecting the New Buildings — 
The Jinrikisha — The Miniature Railway — Her 
Majesty's Automobiles —Kite Flying — His Majesty 
the Emperor Plows and Sows the Seed of a Furrow, 

XV 



Contents 

PAGE 

Chapter XXXIV. Finishing and Sending off 

THE Portrait 294 

Nineteenth Day of April — Invitations to Ladies of the 
Legation to see the Portrait — Visit of the Ladies to 
"^ the Palace — The Portrait — Princes and Nobles see 
the " Sacred Picture "—Attempt to Photograph— Por- 
trait taken to Wai-Wu-Pu — Visit of Corps Diplo- 
matique — Packing the Portrait — Special Railway- 
built from Foreign Oflfice to Railway Station — De- 
parture of Picture — En route — Tientsin— Shanghai — 
Embarkation for San Francisco — Reception by Prince 
Pu L'un and Imperial Commission at St. Louis — Un- 
veiling the Portrait — Placing the Portrait in the Gal- 
lery of Fine Arts — Arrival at Washington — Pres- 
entation to the Government. 

Chapter XXXV. Return to the Summer 

Palace 300 

Return to the Summer Palace — The Palace of the 
Emperor's Father in Spring — The Grounds of the 
Summer Palace — The Studio — At Work Again — The 
Theater — His Majesty's Theater Progi'am — Work of 
the Vermilion Pencil — His Majesty's Interest in the 
Russo-Japanese War — Spring Garden Party to the 
Ladies of the Legation — Another large Portrait of 
Her Majesty — Showing it to the Ladies — Her Maj- 
esty's Desire for Highly Finished Detail — Her De- 
light in her New Hobby — Final Days. 



XVI 



List of Illustrations 

Portrait of the Empress Dowager Frontispiece 

FACING PAGE 

The Empress and the Ladies of the Court in the Imperial 
Barge 24 

Princesses of the Court 40 

The Young Empress Ye-Ho-Na-Lah 44 

At the American Legation, Peking 88 

Chinese Architecture 104 

On the Eoad from Peking to the Summer Palace .... 112 

The Empress Dowager Writing a " Great Character " . . 136 

The Empress Dowager in the Gardens of the Summer Palace 140 

The Official Audience of Their Majesties 146 

Old Ruins in the Summer Palace 152 

The Secondary Wife of the Emperor 168 

Pailou in the Grounds of the Summer Palace — on the 
Shore of the Lake 176 

Princesses of the Court 188 

Court in the Winter Palace— "Her Majesty Comes" . . .204 

xvii 



List of Illustrations 

FACING PAGE 

Confucian Temple— '' Spirit Stairway" in Central Flight 

of Steps 208 

Prince Ching 216 

The Author in Chinese Costume 234 

/ 
Temple of Heaven — Peking 246 

Altar to the Invisible Deity 250 

Slave Girls 280 

The Portrait of the Empress Dowager in its Frame . . . 304 



XVlll 



INTRODUCTORY 

IN April, 1903, while I was visiting in Shanghai, I 
received a letter from Mrs. Conger, wife of the 
Minister of the United States to Peking, in which she 
said there was a question of Her Majesty the Empress 
Dowager's having her portrait painted, and asking me 
if such a thing should be arranged would I be willing 
to come to Peking and undertake it. Mrs. Conger 
hoped, if the project should materialize, that Her 
Majesty might later consent to send the portrait to 
the Exposition at St. Louis. She thought such a por- 
trait would be of great interest to the American peo- 
ple and might prove an attractive feature to the 
Exposition, in which she and Mr. Conger were, natur- 
ally, much interested. She also felt, as she had had an 
opportunity of seeing a good deal of the Empress 
Dowager, that if the world could see a true likeness of 
her, it might modify the generally accepted idea 
which prevailed as to Her Majesty's character. 

I answered Mrs. Conger's letter, saying I should be 
deUghted to undertake the work, should it be decided 
upon, and I awaited further developments. The idea 
of sitting for her portrait met with Her Majesty's 
approval, and she said she would arrange an Audience 
and set a day for beginning. But the ^' mills of "— 

xix 



Introductory 



Chinese Oflicialdom ^^ grind slowly," and not until 
July did Mrs. Conger receive an official notification 
from the Wai-Wu-Pu (Chinese Foreign Office) request- 
ing "Her Excellency Mrs. Conger to present the 
American artist, Miss Carl, to Her Imperial Majesty 
on the fifth day of August, for the purpose of paint- 
ing a portrait of Her Majesty." Mrs. Conger imme- 
diately informed me of the reception of this docu- 
ment, and I left Shanghai for Peking on the 29th of 
July. I was cordially received, on my arrival in Pe- 
king, by Mr. and Mrs. Conger at the American Lega- 
tion, and on the fifth of August was presented by 
Mrs. Conger to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 
at the Summer Palace in private Audience. 

As it was a great innovation in Chinese customs and 
a breaking away from long-established tradition for an 
Imperial portrait to be painted, there was no precedent 
to foUow and all arrangements were of the vaguest 
kind ; and when I went into the Palace for my first 
Audience, I did not know whether I would have one 
sitting or ten, and no one else seemed to have any 
more definite information. All was uncertainty. 
Everything depended upon Her Majesty's inclination, 
and future developments must be awaited. I felt 
that I was really going into the Palace on trial and 
that my reception and the work depended upon the 
fantasy and whims of a great Personage from whom, 
according to current reports, I had but little to ex- 
pect. On the day of my first Audience, I was told at 
the Foreign Office that Her Majesty was to give me 
but one sitting, hence it was not in a very tranquil 
state of mind that I went up to be presented to the 

XX 



Introductory 

Great Empress Dowager,-Tze-Slii ! But all this was 
changed when I saw her. She received me kindly, 
was very gracious. A Palace was set aside for me, 
and every facility afforded me for my work : during 
my sojourn at the Chinese Court I painted not only 
the portrait for the Exposition at St. Louis, but three 
others of Her Majesty. 

Unique as my experiences at the different Palaces 
of Their Celestial Majesties were, I concluded, after 
I had lived at Court for a few months, I would never 
make these experiences public. The Empress Dowa- 
ger received me in so friendly a manner, I met with 
such consideration at her hands and such unfailing 
courtesy from all with whom I came in contact, I felt 
I should requite this kindness by an equal consider- 
ation, and that it was my duty to respect Chinese 
prejudices and conform to their ideas of ^' Propriety '' 
by refraining from any relation of my charming 
experiences. 

After I returned to America, I was constantly see- 
ing in newspapers (and hearing of) statements ascribed 
to me which I never made. Her Majesty was repre- 
sented as having stood over me in threatening atti- 
tudes, forcing me to represent her as a young and 
beautiful woman ! It was reported that she refused 
to give me any compensation for the portraits, and a 
number of other statements, equally false, were daily 
appearing in the papers. The London '^ Times," in 
speaking of the Empress Dowager, said: '^Some one 
has said ' she has the soul of a tiger in the body of a 
woman,^ and Miss Carl found the old lady shrewd and 
tempestuous." The latter statement, which I never 

xxi 



Introductory 



made, seemed to me enough to have on my shoulders, 
but the article was copied in American papers and I 
was put down as the author of the first, as well as of 
the second statement. The power of the Press has 
become such that it cannot be ignored. It is of no 
avail to say nothing in such a case as mine ; when you 
do this, words are put into your mouth and sentiments 
ascribed to you at the will of the newsmongers. If 
a correction be made, it never seems to get the same 
cu'culation or publicity as the first statement. These 
erroneous statements continue to appear, and I have 
finally decided that, in justice to my August Patroness 
as well as to my humbler self, it is incumbent upon 
me to correct them, and it seems to me the only 
proper way to do so is to write a full and true relation 
of my life at the Palace and mj^ experiences while 
painting the portraits of Her Majesty the Empress 
Dowager. 

I know I pubhsh this account at the risk of offend- 
ing the sensibilities of my Chinese friends, for many 
of them will never know what called it forth. I know 
that by so doing I may change any favorable opinion 
they may have formed as to my good-breeding and 
discretion. I was on sufficiently intimate terms with 
Her Majesty and the Ladies of the Court to know that 
this account will be looked upon by them as an ^^ in- 
discretion," to say the least of it. 

In this story of my life at the Palace, I must natu- 
rally give some description of Their Majesties and 
necessarily make some comment upon their characters. 
In doing this, I wiU transgress another long-established 
rule of Chinese Propriet}^, which makes any comment, 

xxii 



Introductory 



favorable or unfavorable, upon tbe Sacred Persons of 
Their Majesties, a breach of etiquette. No act of 
theirs is ever criticized, no report in reference to 
them is ever explained, no slander about them is ever 
refuted by loyal Chinese, and the generality of Chinese 
are loyal. Thus the falsest statements, not being re- 
futed by those in a position to know, gain in credence 
until they are reported as facts. 

If my comment on Their Majesties and discussion 
of their acts be favorable, this will be no palliation 
from the Chinese standpoint. Any sort of comment 
will be looked upon as a breach of hospitality. I have 
absolutely nothing to gain, should I suppress any dis- 
agreeable facts I may have learned as to Her Majesty. 
Should I be willing to sacrifice the truth, in order to 
please my Chinese friends, this would avail me no- 
thing, for should my account of Her Majesty be con- 
strued by them into an apology for her, I would be 
considered most presumptuous and the enormity of 
my offense aggravated. Thus I am between two fires. 
Those who read my account may imagine I am trying 
to justify Her Majesty and thereby gain her favor j 
and should the Chinese put this construction on it, my 
indiscretion will become an offense. Knowing all 
this, and with the memory of the charming considera- 
tion I received at the Chinese Court, I nevertheless 
feel it is my duty to publish a simple and truthful 
narrative of my experiences, and I hope I may be par- 
doned for thus breaking Chinese conventions. 

The Boxer rebellion was a frequent topic of conver- 
sation at the Palace and I heard a great deal about it 
from the Ladies of the Court. It was not considered 

xxiii 



Introductory 



at all indiscreet to ask questions on this subject, and 
I did not hesitate to inform myself by asking about 
things I wished to know. If it be true, as the philoso- 
phers say, that " the proper study of mankind is man 
under his own environment," I had an opportunity of 
studying Her Majesty on the right principles. My 
account of her should, therefore, have some little value, 
for I am the only European who has ever had a chance 
to study this remarkable woman in her own milieu, 
or to look upon the facts of her life from the stand- 
point within her own circle. 

In this simple relation of what I saw of the customs, 
religious rites and ceremonies, I have also preferred 
to rest upon my own personal interpretation of the 
same, rather than to study the learned explanations of 
the many clever Sinologues, whose works abound. 
These works may be consulted by those who desire to 
enter more deeply into things. I had no time to 
make a comprehensive study of any works on the sub- 
ject, and I purposely have read nothing and consulted 
no books on China, wishing to give a fresh impression. 
As all their curious ceremonies were a matter of course 
to the Chinese, they had become so petrified by long 
use and tradition, as to have, in many instances, lost 
their original signification to most of those who went 
through them. I could thus get very little help from 
the Chinese and was forced to put my own interpreta- 
tion upon things. I feel that, with my limited capa- 
cities, and my inexperience as a writer, the only reason 
for my entering this field at all lies in the interest of 
what I saw, as I saw it. Notwithstanding the attitude 
of the Court in this matter, I have decided to run the 

xxiv 



Introductory 



risk of incurring their displeasure and reprobation, for 
I feel assured that what I have to say may serve 
to clear up certain misapprehensions and place 
Her Majesty the Empress Dowager in more favorable 
light. What follows is but the simple narration, 
the unsophisticated interpretation, of an observant 
painter. 



XXV 



WITH THE EMPEESS 
DOWAGER 




[3i£] EiSBiainj^^cja BIS I51C] Eja 0Jqi 010 0IS [ira 



WITH THE EMPRESS 
DOWAGER 

CHAPTER I 

MY PRESENTATION AND FIRST DAY AT THE 
CHINESE COURT 

THE day of my first Audience at the Chinese Court, 
August 5th, we were up betimes at the American 
Legation, for it takes full three hours to drive out to 
the Summer Palace from Peking ; and punctuality is 
the etiquette of Oriental as well as of Occidental poten- 
tates. Our audience was for half -past ten o'clock, and 
the portrait of the Empress Dowager was to be begun 
at eleven ; that hour, as well as the day and the month, 
having been chosen, after much deliberation and 
many consultations of the almanac, as the most aus- 
picious for beginning work on the first likeness ever 
made of Her Majesty. 

We left the Legation at seven a.m. in the trap of 
the United States Legation Guard, that being the 
only vehicle available large enough to carry the party, 
Mrs. Conger and her interpreter and myself and my 
painting materials, which included a large canvas and 



With the Empress Dowager 

a folding easel. After leaving the City, the drive out 
to the Summer Palace is through fertile fields and^ 
a fair, smiling landscape. It had rained the night 
before and everything was beautifully fresh. The 
wet, stone-paved road stretched ahead like a shining 
stream ; the wheat and corn fields along the road were 
of a brilliant green, with here and there the somber 
note of a clump of arbor-vitae, out of which rose the 
walls of a temple ! The distant hills, where lay the 
Summer Palace, were delicately limned against a soft 
blue-gray sky, and the whole made an entrancing 

picture. /v* • i 

Soon after leaving Peking the mounted oflicial 
Legation servants that followed Mrs. Conger's car- 
riage were joined by a Chinese Guard of Honor sent 
by the Wai-Wu-Pu (Foreign Ofiice) to escort us to the 
Palace. After an hour and a half's drive we rattled 
through a busy village, past the yellow ruins of a 
great lama temple, and along the park walls of the 
summer homes of several Princes of the Imperial 
Family, and soon came within sight of the beautiful 
grounds of the Summer Palace with its hills, vaUeys, 
canals, and lakes; the hills crowned with tea-houses 
and temples, the waters of the canals lapping the 
marble terraces of the Palaces. The red waUs and 
glazed tiles of the yellow and green roofs, the brilliant 
foliage, freshened by the rain, made a gay picture ; 
and the temples, arches, pagodas, and the many build- 
ings that constitute a Chinese palace gave it the ap- 
pearance of a whole town rather than of a single palace. 
As in aU Oriental palaces, upon the very threshold 
of the outer courts sit the beggar, the lame, the halt, 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

and the blind, gathering rich harvests from the gen- 
erosity of the high nobles and officials and their myriad 
retainers as they pass in and out of the Foreign Of&ce 
and the outer courts of the Palace. The Foreign 
Office, during the residence of the Court at the Summer 
Palace, sixteen miles from the Capital, has offices on 
the left of the great Imperial entrance, in order that 
state business may be more easily transacted while 
Their Majesties are in villeggiatura. 

We alighted at the Foreign Office and were met by 
a number of officials with their interpreters, coming 
out to receive us. After readjusting ourselves in the 
waiting-room, we were met, when we came out, by 
the Chief Eunuch of the Palace, who conducted us to 
the red-covered Palace chairs, each carried by six men. 
They bore us past the Imperial gateway (used only for 
Their Majesties), through a door of entrance at the 
left, when we were within the sacred precincts of one 
of the residences of the Sons of Heaven and within 
the walls of the favorite Palace of the Empress Dow- 
ager ! Before we could take in our surroundings, we 
had been rapidly carried through various courts and 
gardens, and had come at last to a larger, quadrangu- 
lar court, filled with pots of rare blooming plants and 
many beautiful growing shrubs. Here the bearers put 
down our chairs ; we descended and walked through 
the court, preceded and followed by a number of 
eunuchs. The great plate-glass doors of the Palace in 
front of us, blazing with the huge red character '^ Sho " 
(longevity), were swung noiselessly back, and we were 
at last within the Throne-room of Her Imperial 
Majesty the Empress Dowager of China ! 



With the Empress Dowager 

A group of Princesses and Ladies-in-waiting stood 
to receive us. The Ladies Yu-Keng, wife and daugh- 
ter of a former Chinese Minister to France, stood near 
the Princesses ; and their perfect knowledge of both 
Chinese and English rendered them delightful me- 
diums of communication between the Princesses 
and ourselves. Having known these ladies in Paris, 
it was almost like seeing old friends. They seemed a 
link between the real, every-day world and this Ara- 
bian Nights Palace into which we had been wafted. 
As we arrived at a quarter-past ten, we were in the 
Throne-room a few moments before Their Majesties 
appeared ! Their entrance was so simply made, so 
unobtrusive, that the first I knew of it, noticing a 
sudden lull, I looked around and saw a charming 
little lady, with a brilliant smile, greeting Mrs. Conger 
very cordially. One of the Ladies Yu-Keng whis- 
pered, " Her Majesty " j but even after this it seemed 
almost impossible for me to realize that this kindly 
looking lady, so remarkably young-looking, with^ so 
winning a smile, could be the so-called cruel, im- 
placable tyrant, the redoubtable " old " Empress 
Dowager, whose name had been on the lips of the 
world since 1900 ! A young man, almost boyish in 
appearance, entered the Throne-room with her : this 
was the Son of Heaven, the Emperor of China ! 

After greeting Mrs. Conger, the Empress Dowager 
looked toward me, and I advanced with a reverence. 
She met me half-way and extended her hand with 
another brilliant smile which quite won me, and I 
spontaneously raised her dainty fingers to my lips. 
This was not in the protocol program. It was an 

6 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

involuntary and surprised tribute on my part to her 
unexpected charm. She then turned and with grace- 
ful gesture extended her hand toward the Emperor 
and murmured '^The Emperor," and watched me 
closely while I made His Majesty the formal rever- 
ence. He acknowledged the salutation by a slight 
bow and a stereotyped smile, but I felt that he, too, 
was closely scrutinizing me as his shrewd glance 
swept my person. 

After a few moments^ conversation, interpreted by 
the Ladies Yu-Keng, Her Majesty ordered my paint- 
ing things brought in, while she retired to be dressed 
in the gown she had decided upon as appropriate for 
the portrait. 

After she had left the Throne-room, I tried to take 
in the conditions of the place for painting. The hall 
was large and spacious, but the light was false, the 
upper parts of the windows being covered with paper 
shades. The only place in the hall where there was 
any sort of light for painting was in front of the 
great plate-glass doors, and this was but a small space 
in which to begin so large a picture. To get a light 
upon the portrait, as well as upon the sitter, I should 
be forced to place my canvas very near the throne 
where she was to sit ; and, with so large a portrait as 
I was to paint, this would be a great disadvantage. 
When I thought I must paint here, and begin at once 
upon the canvas which was to be the final picture, my 
heart fell ! Her Majesty wished, above all, to have a 
large portrait, and I was told she would not under- 
stand my beginning on a small canvas or making any 
preliminary studies — that if I did not begin on the 



With the Empress Dowager 

big canvas at once she would probably not give me 
any more sittings ; in fact we had that morning been 
told at the Foreign Office that Her Majesty was to 
give me but two sittings, so there was no alternative ! 
There could be no preliminary poses, no choice from 
several sketches, and only a few moments in which 
to choose the pose, which must be final— and I totally 
ignorant of the possibilities of my sitter or her char- 
acteristics. 

Luckily, I had but a few moments to consider all 
these adverse circumstances, for Her Majesty soon 
returned ! She had been clothed in a gown of Impe- 
rial yellow, brocaded in the wistaria vine in realistic 
colors and richly embroidered in pearls. It was 
made, in the graceful Manchu fashion, in one piece, 
reaching from the neck to the floor ; fastened from 
the right shoulder to the hem with jade buttons. The 
stuff of the gown was of a stiff, transparent silk, and 
was worn over a softer under-gown of the same color 
and length. At the top button, from the right shoul- 
der, hung a string of eighteen enormous pearls sepa- 
rated by flat pieces of brilliant, transparent green 
jade. From the same button was suspended a large, 
carved pale ruby, which had yellow silk tassels ter- 
minating in two immense pear-shaped pearls of rare 
beauty! At each side, just under the arms, hung 
a pale-blue, embroidered silk handkerchief and a 
scent-bag with long, black silk tassels. Around her 
throat was a pale-blue, two-inch- wide cravat, em- 
broidered in gold with large pearls. This cravat had 
one end tucked into the opening on the shoulder of 
her gown, and the other hanging. Her jet-black hair 

8 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

was parted in the middle, carried smoothly over the 
temples, and brought to the top of the head in a large, 
flat coil. 

Formerly all Manchu ladies who have marvelous 
hair carried the hair itself out from this coD. over a 
golden, jade, or tortoise-shell sword-like pin, into a 
large-winged bow. The Empress Dowager and the 
Ladies of the Court have substituted satin instead of 
the hair, for this wing-like construction, as being more 
practicable and less liable to get out of order. So 
satin-like and glossy is their hair that it is difficult to 
tell where it ends and the satin begins. A band of 
pearls, with an immense ^'flaming pearl" in the cen- 
ter, encircled the coil. On either side of the winged 
bow were bunches of natural flowers and a profusion 
of jewels. From the right side of the head-dress 
hung a tassel of eight strings of beautiful pearls 
reaching to the shoulder. 

She wore bracelets and rings, and on each hand had 
two nail-protectors, for she wore her nails so long the 
protectors were necessary adjuncts. These nail-pro- 
tectors were worn on the third and fourth fingers of 
either hand; those on the left being of brilliant 
green jade, while those on the right hand were of 
gold, set with rubies and pearls. 

Her Majesty advanced with animation and asked 
me where the Double Dragon Throne was to be 
placed. After the eunuchs had put it where I said, 
she took her seat. Although not more than five feet 
tall, as she wears the Manchu shoes with six-inch-high, 
stilt-like soles, to avoid throwing the knees up higher 
than the lap she must sit upon cushions, and when 



With the Empress Dowager 

she is seated she looks a much larger woman than 
when standing. She took a conventional pose and 
told me I might make any suggestion I wished ; but 
I had made up my mind that the pose and surround- 
ings must be as typical and characteristic as possible, 
and as I had had no time to study my August Sitter I 
thought she would know best as to her position and 
accessories. 

It was nearing eleven ! 

Beginning anything is momentous. Every artist 
knows how the wonderful possibilities of the bare 
canvas in its virgin purity standing before him in- 
spires him with almost a feeling of awe ; how he hesi- 
tates about beginning, so great is the responsibility. 
This bare canvas may become a masterpiece, the full 
expression of his thought, or it may come forth a 
maimed and distorted effort. To-day in these strange 
surroundings, with these unusual and unfavorable 
conditions, my hesitancy was greater than usual ; for 
upon this beginning depended my being able to go 
on with the portrait. 

My hands trembled ! The inscrutable eyes of the 
wonderful woman I was to paint, fixed piercingly 
upon me, were also disconcerting; but just then 
the eighty-five clocks in this particular Throne- 
room began to chime, play airs, and strike the hour 
in eighty-five different ways. The auspicious mo- 
ment had come! I raised my charcoal and put 
the first stroke upon the canvas of the first portrait 
that had ever been painted of the Empress Dowager 
of Great China, the powerful ''Tze-Shi." The 
Princesses, Ladies-in-waiting, the high eunuchs and at- 

lO 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

tendants, stood in breathless silence around, intently 
watching my every movement, for everything touch- 
ing Her Majesty is a solemnity. 

For a few moments I heard the faintest ticking of the 
eighty-five clocks as if they were great Cathedral bells 
clanging in my ears, and my charcoal on the canvas 
sounded like some mighty saw drawn back and forth. 
Then, happily, I became interested, and absolutely un- 
conscious of anything but my sitter and my work. I 
worked steadily on for what seemed to be a very 
short time, when Her Majesty turned to the inter- 
preter and said ^^ enough work had been done for 
that day " j the conditions had been fulfilled and the 
picture begun at the auspicious moment. She added 
that she knew I must be tired from our long drive 
out from Peking, as well as from my work. She said 
I must rest and we must partake of some refresh- 
ments. She then descended from the throne and 
came over to look at the sketch. 

I had blocked in the whole figure and had drawn 
the head with some accuracy. So strong and impres- 
sive is her personality, I had been able to get enough 
of her character into this rough whole to make it a 
sort of likeness. After looking critically at it for a 
few moments, she expressed herself as well pleased 
with what had been done, and paid me some compli- 
ments on my talent as an artist ! I felt instinctively, 
however, this was due more to her natural courtesy— 
her desire to put me at ease— than to an actual ex- 
pression of her opinion. After she had looked at the 
portrait, she called Mrs. Conger and the Princesses to 
see what had been done, and it was discussed for a few 

I I 



With the Empress Dowager 

moments. Then she turned to me and said the por- 
trait interested her greatly, that she should like to see 
it go on. She asked me, looking straight into my 
eyes the while, if I would care to remain at the Palace 
for a few days, that she might give me sittings at her 
leisure. 

This invitation filled me with joy. The reports I 
had heard of Her Majesty's hatred of the foreigner 
had been dispelled by this first Audience and what I 
had seen there. I felt that the most consummate actress 
could not so belie her personality, and I accepted, 
without a moment's hesitation, the invitation so gra- 
ciously tendered. I thought thus I should be able to 
get a good beginning for a satisfactory likeness of this 
most remarkable and interesting woman. My san- 
guine heart even leaped forward to the possibility of 
probably finishing the portrait entirely at the Palace. 
Her Majesty seemed pleased at my acceptance and 
said she would try to make me happy. She then with- 
drew and we were served to luncheon. 

The Empress Dowager always eats alone. When 
she has guests the Princess Imperial, as the first of 
the Ladies of the Palace, acts as hostess. The guests 
of honor are placed at her right and left. The 
Princesses, Ladies Yu-Keng, Mrs. Conger, and myself 
formed the guests on this occasion. 

The table, decorated with flowers and fruit, groaned 
under the many Chinese dishes placed thereon. For- 
eign dishes were served a la Biisse. The Chinese dishes, 
attractive to the eye as well as to the senses of smell 
and taste, appealed to me at once ; though I had been 
told one must cultivate a taste for them. There were 

12 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

foreign table waters and wines as well as Chinese 
drinks. We did full justice to the viands, tasting 
everything and trying to use the chop-sticks, though 
knives and forks were also placed for each of the 
guests. 

After the repast Her Majesty and the young Em- 
press, the first wife of the Emperor Kwang-Hsu, came 
in. Her Majesty presented the young Empress with 
the same grace with which she had indicated the Em- 
peror at the morning Audience, repeating her title, 
" The Empress," as she did so. Immediately behind 
the young Empress was the only secondary wife of 
the Emperor, who was also presented by the Empress 
Dowager. 

Then Her Majesty told Mrs. Conger she had her 
Players at the Theater that day, and she invited us to 
come and hear them. The Empress Dowager and 
Mrs. Conger led the way and I followed with the young 
Empress and Princesses. We passed through several 
courts, all gay with flowers, and finally reached the 
largest of all, the Court of the Theater. The Theater 
projects into this rectangular court and consists of a 
covered rostrum, open on three sides with doors at the 
back for the entrance and exit of the actors. In front 
of the stage and across the open, flower-filled court, 
with splendid bronze ornaments here and there, is a 
building which might be called the Imperial loge. This 
is from sixty to eighty feet long with a pillared stone 
verandah and occupies one entire side of the court. 
Huge panes of plate glass, the full height of the build- 
ing, enable Her Majesty and the Emperor to see, from 
within, all that passes on the stage, and they can, 

13 



With the Empress Dowager 

of course, hear everything perfectly. The buildings 
which form the other sides of this court, those which 
run at right angles to the Imperial loge, are divided 
into small stalls, each about the size of an ordinary 
opera box. There are no chairs in these boxes, the 
occupants sit Turkish fashion upon the floor, for no 
courtier can occupy a chair when in the presence of 
Their Majesties. These side rooms are for the use of 
the high officials and Princes who are sometimes in- 
vited by Their Majesties to be present at the Imperial 
Theatrical Representations. 

On my first day at Court there were no other in- 
vited guests ; the Players had been summoned in our 
honor. Her Majesty sat in a yellow-covered chair on 
the red-pillared verandah of the Imperial loge. The 
Emperor was seated on a yellow stool at her left, the 
place of honor in China. Mrs. Conger and I were 
on Her Majesty's right, the young Empresses, 
Princesses, and Ladies-in-waiting standing around. 
After seeing two or three acts of a play of which we 
understood little more than the pantomime, but which 
was interesting from its very novelty, Mrs. Conger 
arose to take leave of Their Majesties and the Prin- 
cesses. After this was accomplished, I accompanied 
her to one of the outer courts and there told her 
good-by. 

When she left, I was alone in the Palace, the first 
foreigner to be domiciled in any residence of a Son of 
Heaven since the time of Marco Polo, and the only for- 
eigner who had ever been within the Ladies' Precincts. 
I had a curious feeling of having been transported into 
a strange world, A sense of loneliness crept over me, 

14 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

and I feared the strangeness of my position might 
affect my work, and that, after all, I should not accom- 
plish what I had remained in the Palace to do. I 
stood for a few minutes pondering my position, but 
was soon joined by the Ladies Yu-Keng with a mes- 
sage from the Empress Dowager that I need not 
return to the Theater, as she had gone to rest. She 
sent word that she thought it would be well for me to 
go to my apartments and try to sleep a little. She 
hoped I would be happy in the Palace and find the 
pavilion she had set aside for me comfortable. She 
added that I must not hesitate to order anything I 
wished and must make myself perfectly at home. 

The Summer Palace, like all Chinese palaces and 
temples, and even the dwelling-houses of the rich, 
consists of a series of verandahed buildings, built on 
stone foundations which rise about eight feet from the 
ground, generally of one story, around the four sides 
of rectangular or square courts, connected by open 
verandah-like corridors. The apartments set aside 
for my private use, while in the Precincts, were to the 
left of the Empress Dowager's Throne-room and quite 
near it— in order that I might go and come to my 
painting with ease. These apartments occupied an 
entire pavilion. It was charming. Its shining mar- 
ble floors and beautifully carved partitions, its painted 
walls and charming outlook over flowery courts, made 
it a delightful spot. These pavilions at the Palace 
have movable partitions and the rooms may be made 
as small as closets or as large as the whole building. 

My pavilion consisted of two sitting-rooms, a dining- 
room, and a charming bedroom, separated from each 

15 



With the Empress Dowager 

other by screen-like walls of beautifully carved open 
woodwork, with blue silk showing through the in- 
terstices. In the larger spaces were artistic panels of 
flowers painted on white silk, alternating with poems 
and quotations from the classics, in the picturesque, 
ideographic writing of the Chinese. On one of the 
solid walls was a large water-color painting on white 
silk, representing a realistically painted peafowl in a 
flowery field; an immense mirror formed the other 
solid wall. The plate-glass lower windows had blue 
silken curtains, the upper windows of white paper 
were rolled down, and the rich perfume of the flowers 
in the court came in. In my honor, several foreign 
'' objets de virtu " adorned the tables and window- 
shelves. The bed, a couch built into an alcove, was 
covered with blue satin cushions; and the windows 
were shaded from the outside by blue silken awnings, 
which gave a soft subdued light to the room, that 
made it very cool and restful-looking. I found the 
couch so inviting I was soon reaUy resting, and the 
events of the day passed before my mental vision in 
kaleidoscopic array. Although the cushions of the 
bed were harder than I had been accustomed to, and 
the dozen or more eunuchs, who had been set aside for 
my service, were whispering just outside my window 
to be ready for any call, I soon f eU asleep from sheer 
exhaustion and reaction from the unusual events of 
the day. 

At five o'clock one of the Ladies Yu-Keng knocked 
at my door to teU me the Empress Dowager was 
awake, and had asked that I come up to the Throne- 
room as soon as I was ready. When we went up she 

i6 



My First Day at the Chinese Court 

called me to her side and said she hoped I had rested 
well, that I found my apartments comfortable ; she 
repeated again the wish that I would be happy with 
her. She said we would not paint any more for 
that day, but on the morrow we would have another 
and longer sitting for the portrait. She begged me 
to let her know if there was anything I cared for 
particularly, that she might order it for me. 

The Empress Dowager then dined alone, after which 
the young Empress and the Princesses led me into 
the Throne-room, and we dined at Her Majesty's 
table, her seat being left vacant. The young Empress 
occupied the place at the left of this vacant seat, and 
had me on her left. When we had finished dinner, 
at which the young Empress and the Ladies were 
most considerate of me, seeming to try to make me 
feel at ease, we went up to take our leave of the Em- 
press Dowager. After this was accomplished we left 
the Throne-room, and made our adieus to the young 
Empress and Princesses, and left the Imperial inclo- 
sure for the Palace of the Emperor's Father, which 
Her Majesty had set aside for the use of the Ladies 
Yu-Keng and myself while I was at work on the por- 
trait. 



17 



CHAPTER II 

PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF HER MAJESTY— A CHINESE 
REPAST — BOATING 

I WAS eager to be off the next morning, to have 
the promised long sitting from Her Majesty. 
The sitting of the day before had but whetted my 
desire for further work on the portrait. When we 
arrived within the Precincts we met the Empress 
Dowager and the Emperor coming out of the Great 
Audience Hall from their joint Audience. When 
Her Majesty saw us she stopped, as did the whole 
train of her attendant Ladies and eunuchs. She 
called me up to her side, took my hand, and asked me 
how I had rested and " whether I felt ready for work." 
This question showed her penetration, for she had 
seen the day before, from my eagerness and the 
breathless haste with which I used every moment, 
that my work was my first object, and she smiled 
when she put the query. I walked along by her side 
from the Audience Hall to the Throne-room where I 
had begun the portrait of the day before. When we 
reached the Throne-room she was divested of her 
official vestments, took a cup of tea, and called one of 
her tiring-women to bring her the dress and orna- 
ments worn the day before, and she prepared to sit for 
me the second time. 

i8 



Personal Appearance of Her Majesty 

At this second sitting I looked at the Empress 
Dowager critically. I feared that the agreeable im- 
pression I had formed, the day before, of herself and 
her personal appearance had probably been too hasty, 
the result of the unusual glamour in which I had be- 
gun the portrait ; I thought perhaps the Oriental en- 
vironment had dazzled me and prevented my seeing 
the Empress Dowager as she really was, and I looked 
forward to a disillusion. As she sat there, upon the 
throne, before she was quite ready for me to begin, 
before she had transfixed me with her penetrating 
glance, before she knew I was looking at her, I 
scanned her person and face with all the penetration 
I could bring to bear, and this is what I saw : 

A perfectly proportioned figure, with head well set 
upon her shoulders and a fine presence j really beauti- 
ful hands, daintily small and high-bred in shape 5 a 
symmetrical, well-formed head, with a good develop- 
ment above the rather large ears; jet-black hair, 
smoothly parted over a fine, broad brow; delicate, 
well-arched eyebrows; brilliant, black eyes, set per- 
fectly straight in the head ; a high nose, of the type 
the Chinese call " noble," broad between the eyes and 
on a line with the forehead; an upper lip of great 
firmness, a rather large but beautiful mouth with 
mobile, red lips, which, when parted over her firm 
white teeth, gave her smile a rare charm ; a strong 
chin, but not of exaggerated firmness and with no 
marks of obstinacy.^ Had I not known she was near- 
ing her sixty -ninth year, I should have thought her a 
well-preserved woman of forty. Being a widow, she 
used no cosmetics. Her face had the natural glow of 

19 



With the Empress Dowager 

health, and one could see that exquisite care and 
attention were bestowed upon everything concerning 
her toilet. Personal neatness and an excellent taste 
in the choice of becoming colors and ornaments en- 
hanced this wonderfully youthful appearance, and a 
look of keen interest in her surroundings and remark- 
able intelligence crowned all these physical qualities 
and made an unusually attractive personality. 

When I was so far in my study of her appearance, 
the Empress Dowager had finished speaking to her 
attendants, had settled herself to her satisfaction on 
the throne, and she turned to me and asked " what 
part of the portrait I was to work on." I had been 
told she would be much pleased if I would paint in the 
face. Thinking it was important to please her at the 
outset, instead of perfecting and advancing the draw- 
ing of the whole figure, as I should have done, I began 
on the face ; first correcting the drawing as far as pos- 
sible and then putting in a thin wash of color. During 
the sitting the Ladies, attendants, and eunuchs were 
coming and going ; she took tea and conversed, but 
she seemed to understand that she must keep her 
head in the same position, and she would look over 
apologetically at me when she moved it. I did not 
wish her to be stiff, and preferred her moving a little 
to sitting like a statue. Her Majesty, like all Oriental 
ladies, smokes, and during the sitting the eunuchs or 
some of the Princesses brought her either the grace- 
ful water-pipe, of which she would take a few 
whiffs, or she would indulge in European cigarettes. 
She never allowed the latter to touch her lips, but 
used a long cigarette-holder. She was extremely 

20 



A Chinese Repast 

graceful in her use of both the cigarette and 
water-pipe. 

After little more than an hour's work Her Majesty- 
decided that enough had been done for the morning 
and that we both needed rest ! She came over to look 
at the face, and it was easy to see that she liked it much 
better now that the color was being put in. She 
stood behind me, discussing it for some time, and said 
she wished it were possible for some one else to pose 
for the face, so that she might sit and watch it grow. 
She thought it very wonderful that on the flat can- 
vas the relief of the face could be represented. She 
then turned to me and said she knew I must be tired 
both mentally and bodily, as I stand to my work, 
advised me to go to my pavilion, have lunch, and 
rest, and added that she would try to give me another 
sitting in the afternoon before we went out for some 
sort of promenade. 

I returned to my pavilion with the Ladies Yu-Keng, 
whom Her Majesty had appointed to keep me com- 
pany for the meals in my own quarters. There was a 
young Manchu girl at Court whose father had been an 
attache at Berlin, who spoke German and English ; 
she, also, had been ordered by Her Majesty to take 
her meals with us, so that I might have pleasant com- 
pany and be able to converse in my own language and 
have proper relaxation during my meals. Besides, I 
did not know enough Chinese to direct the servants 
or make my wants known, and these Ladies were Her 
Majesty's interpreters. 

The meals at the Palace were all of the most lavish 
description, twenty or thirty dishes being placed 

2 I 



With the Empress Dowager 

upon the table at the beginning of the meal, while 
macaroni, rice, and a few other things were served 
from a side table. The Chinese are passed masters in 
the culinary art, and the delicacies seen at good Chi- 
nese tables are fit for a repast of Lucullus. Sharks' 
fins, deers' sinews, birds' tongues, rare fish, bird's-nest 
soups, fish brains, shrimps' eggs, and many other ex- 
traordinary dishes make up the every-day menu. No 
one can cook goose, duck, and in fact all fowls and 
game, to such perfection as the Chinese. Their soups 
are of a delicacy and flavor quite unequaled. Their 
breads and cakes seem to the foreigner, at first, the 
least delectable of their viands ; their bread particu- 
larly, which is steamed instead of baked, is not tempt- 
ing; but when you get over or rather through the 
raw-looking outside, with its five cochineal spots sur- 
mounting its pyramidal form, it is very sweet and 
wholesome. It is made of gray flour, as the Chi- 
nese do not believe in whitening the flour as we do. 
They make delicious creams^ as to consistency ; and 
these and their sweets generally are much esteemed 
by the foreigners. 

At the Palace the food is served in tall dishes of 
painted Chinese porcelain, and everything is placed 
upon the table at once— soups, roast, sweets, all except 
the rice and macaroni. These latter dishes the Chinese 
eat boiling hot, and they are kept on chafing-dishes 
until served. Each person has a bowl, a small saucer, 
and a pair of chop-sticks. A small square of very soft 
cloth is used as a napkin. There is never any salt upon 
the table. The small saucer at the side of each guest 
contains a very salty sauce ; if extra salt is needed, this 

22 



A Chinese Repast 

sauce is used. The Chinese consider powdered salt too 
coarse for seasoning food after it is cooked ! 

They rarely drink at meals, and when they do, only 
tiny cups, about the size of a liqueur-glass, of heated 
wine. This is poured out of silver teapots, and is kept 
hot by being placed in receptacles containing boiling 
water. Their wines are more like liqueurs than ours ; 
they are generally distilled with flowers and herbs 
and have a delightful '^ bouquet." Some of these wines 
have most poetic names, such as '' Dew from the 
Early Morning Rose," and " Drops from the Hands 
of Buddha." The Chinese never drink cold water, nor 
do they take tea at meals. For me, being a foreigner, 
champagne was always provided, as well as claret or 
Burgundy. The Chinese do not drink coffee. After 
leaving the table, they take tea without milk or sugar. 

The middle of the day is set aside for the siesta, and 
during the heat of the summer, every one goes to her 
apartments for two hours after luncheon. As I found 
the Chinese bed-cushions too hard to rest well upon, I 
took to my pavilion a foreign, eiderdown cushion, 
which I used for several days, until one day, on going 
to my room, I found two lovely new cushions with pale- 
blue silk, removable slips. On touching them, I found 
them to be soft and deliciously cool and fragrant as 
well. They were made of tea-leaves and had been sent 
as a present from the Empress Dowager. I found them 
a great improvement over eiderdown or feather cush- 
ions, especially for summer use. Though I did not care 
for this long midday rest, I was forced to go to my 
room and remain there, as there was nothing else to do. 

When Her Majesty awakes, the news flashes like an 

23 



With the Empress Dowager 

electric spark through all the Precincts and over the 
whole inclosure, and every one is on the '^qui vive " in 
a moment. The young Empress and the Princesses go 
up to Her Majesty's Throne-room to be present at her 
" lever." When her afternoon toilet is made, the Em- 
press Dowager comes out of her private apartments 
into the Throne-room and generally partakes of some 
light refreshment, or drinks a cup of tea or some fruit- 
juice. 

She gave me a short sitting after her nap this 
second day and then ordered the boats for a row on 
the lakes. Attended by the young Empress and Prin- 
cesses, and with the usual train of attendants and eu- 
nuchs, we went out into the court of the Throne-room, 
passed through a small pavihon opening directly upon 
the beautiful white marble terrace, with its quaintly 
carved marble balustrade, which stretches all along the 
southern side of the lake. Her Majesty's own barge 
lay at the foot of the marble steps and numbers of 
other barges and boats lay around, forming quite a 
little fleet. She descended the steps and entered the 
barge. The young Empress, Princesses, and Ladies fol- 
lowed. Her Majesty sat in the yellow, throne-like 
chair in the middle of the raised platform of the barge. 
The young Empress, Princesses, and Ladies took 
their places as decreed by centuries-old tradition. They 
sat upon cushions placed upon the carpeted floor of 
the raised platform of the barge. 

When I stepped on, Her Majesty motioned me to 
come near her and sit at her right. The young Empress 
was on her left. Several of the high eunuchs stood 
at the back of the Empress Dowager's chair with her 

24 




I{^g^.f' 






ft 

i i 



'^ 






Boating 



extra wraps, bonbons, cigarettes, water-pipes, etc. 
There were two rowers on the barge who stood with 
their long oars to guide it, for it was attached by great 
yellow ropes to two boats, manned by twenty-four 
rowers each, and was towed along by them. Only 
the eunuchs of the highest rank, Her Majesty's per- 
sonal attendants, went on the barge with her, and 
the two boatmen simply guided it. All the Palace 
boatmen stand to their oars, for they cannot sit in the 
presence of Her Majesty, even though not upon the 
Imperial barge. And it is only on the barge that the 
Empress and Ladies sit in the presence of the Em- 
press Dowager without being invited by her to do so. 

A number of flat boats followed the Imperial barge 
with the army of eunuchs that go to make up the 
train of Their Majesties when they move about the 
Palace or grounds. One boat carried portable stoves 
and aU the necessary arrangements for making tea, 
as this is taken so frequently by Her Majesty and the 
Ladies, it may be called for at any time. 

We were rowed across the lake to one of tbe islands ; 
and when we looked back at the Palaces, the memo- 
rial arches, the temple-crowned hills, the curious camel- 
back bridges, and the beautiful white marble terraces 
jutting out into the lake with its islands, the scene 
was indeed fairy-like. We were then rowed into a 
field of beautiful lotus flowers, and Her Majesty ordered 
some pulled by the eunuchs to be given to the Ladies. 
She seemed delighted at my sincere admiration of this 
beautiful water-plant, so dear to the Chinese. After an 
hour on the lake, we were rowed back to our starting- 
point and disembarked. This time the Princesses and 

25 



With the Empress Dowager 

Ladies left the barge first and stood to receive the 
Empress Dowager when she landed. When she had 
dined she asked us to dine with the young Empress 
and Ladies at her table in her Throne-room, after 
which we made our adieus and returned to our own 
Palace, without the Precincts. 



1 In the firmament of the Son of Heaven 
A brilliant new star has risen ! — 
Supple as the neck of the swan 
Is the charm of her graceful form. 

From the firm contour of charming chin 
Springs the faultless oval of her fair face, 
Crowned by the harmonious arch 
Of a broad and noble brow. 

The stately profile, chiseled clear, 
Is dominated by the pure line of noble nose 
Straight and slender and singularly mobUe, 
Sensitive to all the impressions of the soul. 

Dewy lips with gracious ciirves 
Are the portals of a dainty mouth 
Where often blooms the sweet flower 
Of a most alluring smDe. 

Her face is lit by black and sparkling eyes, 
Whose flames, in hours of ease. 
With oblique caress, envelop and thrill 
That happy mortal allowed to see. 

When stern circumstance demands, 

Her graceful form an attitude of firmness takes, 

The soft glow of her brilliant eyes 

Grows penetrating and holds one with proud authority. 

O beauty Supreme ! O brilliant Star 

Shining but for the Son of Heaven ! 

From thy glowing soul radiate 

Love, daring, hope, intellect, ambition, power ! 

From a Chinese poet — written xvJien Her Majesty 
was twenty-five years old. 



26 



CHAPTER III 

THE PALACE OF THE EMPEROR'S FATHER 
(PRINCE CH'UN, THE SEVENTH PRINCE) 

THE Palace of the Emperor's Father, which the 
Empress Dowager had set aside for me to live in 
while I was at work on her portrait, was a splendid 
demesne, with a noble park and spacious buildings. 
It had been much injured by the foreign troops in 
1900 and had been unoccupied since, until Her Maj- 
esty decided it would be a suitable dwelling-place for 
her " Portrait Painter." She had it hastily restored 
and refurnished for our occupation, but many of the 
pavilions and summer-houses in the grounds were in 
ruins, and the stables but partly rebuilt. Except the 
grounds immediately surrounding the buildings in 
which the Yu-Kengs and I lived, which were weU 
kept and garnished, the greater part of the extensive 
park was in a fascinating state of natural wildness. 
The Palace, like all others in China, consisted of a net- 
work of verandahed pavilions built around spacious 
courts. There was a small Theater with the Prince's 
loge and stalls for his guests, and numerous tea and 
summer houses were scattered over different parts of 
the grounds. 

I selected, as my abiding-place, a charming group 

27 



With the Empress Dowager 

of buildings in a walled-in garden, fronting on a lotus- 
covered lake, with a winding stream at the back, 
spanned by a picturesque bridge. The principal 
pavilion of this group had a lofty central hall, out of 
which opened, on one side, bedrooms and dressing- 
rooms, and on the other dining-room and dependencies. 
Great doors in the center of the hall, which I had de- 
cided to use as my living-room, opened on a wide 
verandah which ran the whole length of the budding. 
Marble steps led from this into a court filled with 
flowering shrubs. Two sides of the charming court 
had smaller pavilions similar to the central hall, and 
opposite this latter was a quaint stone wall, the 
upper part of tiled lattice-work, with curiously shaped 
openings at irregular intervals. In the center of this 
wall, massive wooden doors opened out on a beautiful 
terrace, shaded by fine old elms, over the lake. It was 
a charming dwelling-place, and this group of build- 
ings soon came to be known as the ^' Ker-Gunia Fu," 
''Ker-Gunia" being ^' Miss Carl" rendered into Chi- 
nese, and ''Fu" meaning ^^ Palace," for the Chinese 
are very fond of nicknames. I learned later that 
these pavilions had been the dwelling-place of the 
Seventh Prince's son, the present Emperor Kwang- 
Hsu, after he had been chosen as Heir to the Throne 
and until he went to live regularly at the Imperial 
Palace. 

As Her Majesty gave me my morning sittings after 
the Audience was finished (which lasted from eight 
A.M. to ten or eleven), I had plenty of time, after my 
cup of tea, to explore the grounds of our Palace, and 
I discovered new beauties each day. The Park was 

28 



The Palace of the Emperor's Father 

inclosed by high walls, for the Chinese are jealous of 
their privacy. Parts of the grounds were gently un- 
dulating, and all the eminences, where views could be 
had, were surmounted by charming summer-houses 
and belvederes. In one of these, where I loved to go 
in the early morning to refresh myself by the contem- 
plation of the calm and peaceful lake beneath, and 
drink in the faint perfume of the stately lotus flow- 
ers, which grew in rich profusion on its bosom, I found 
an inscription on a large flat stone at the left of the 
entrance. I had seen enough of Chinese characters 
to know the inscription looked like a '^ poem." The 
Chinese poem is rarely more than a phrase : the ex- 
pression, in elegant and concise form, of some dainty 
fancy, some bit of philosophy, and is more properly a 
^' verse " than a poem. 

I found, later, the inscription on the stone at the 
entrance of the summer-house was really a '^ poem," 
and had been written by no less a personage than the 
Seventh Prince himself ! This had been his favorite 
place for rest and contemplation, and one day, as he 
reclined upon a cushion at the entrance, he had writ- 
ten this poem on the flat stone which lay conveniently 
near. The Chinese write with a brush well charged 
with liquid India ink, and their writing accommo- 
dates itself to almost any surface. Their characters, 
one for each word, take up less space than our com- 
bination of letters, and are infinitely more pictur- 
esque ! Chinese gentlemen, or some attendant, gen- 
erally carry about with them tablets of writing-ink 
and a brush, and they thus have the means at hand 
for jotting down a thought as it comes to them. 

29 



With the Empress Dowager 

This little poem had been written with a brush, and 
some of the Prince's followers had afterward cut the 
characters in the stone, so that it became a permanent 
record of a fleeting thought. It had evidently been 
inspired by the lotus flowers growing beneath; so 
gloriously beautiful to-day, and to-morrow shorn of 
their splendor. It was a plaint on the transcience of 
worldly glory— 



. . . Which to-day, like the lotus fair, 

Lifts its head in pride ; 
But to-morrow lies low, 

Bathed in the stagnant waters of oblivion. 

One day I came upon a number of small tomb- 
stones, in a beautiful shady corner, near the stables. 
I learned that these marked the last resting-places of 
the Prince's favorite dogs and horses. Each stone 
had an inscription with the name, and extolled the 
virtues of the favorite, whose bones lay beneath it. 
The Prince was a great lover of animals, and is said 
to have had the best kennels and stables of any of the 
Imperial Princes. 

In my morning rambles, I also often came upon stones 
engraved with some character or a phrase from the 
classics. The ideographic Chinese characters, always 
picturesque, are doubly so when deeply engraved, or 
standing out in high rehef on some rugged stone in a 
charming spot in the landscape. The picturesque form 
of the characters is sometimes heightened by being 
painted in vermilion or gilded ; and the glowing color 
makes a delightful contrast with the cool gray of the 

30 



The Palace of the Emperor's Father 

stone. Even though I could not decipher the charac- 
ters, nor read the phrases, I loved to come upon them 
in my morning walks. How much more interesting 
they must have been to the scholarly Chinese who 
understood them ! How fine, when out for rest and 
contemplation, to come upon some thought of their 
great Sages cut in the living rock, or to see some 
character meaning ^^ Peace " or '^ Prosperity " stand- 
ing out, in bold relief or glowing color, from some 
shady nook, as if to bless him ! 

From another of the summer-houses in the Park I 
could see the stone -paved highway leading from the 
Capital to the Summer Palace. During Their Majesties' 
residence at the Summer Palace, this is a busy thorough- 
fare. When I did not care for peaceful contemplation 
or quiet rambles over the grounds, I would go to this 
summer-house, whence I could see the carts and 
^' chairs " of the officials, with their outriders, going to 
and from the Palace j messengers galloping past, bear- 
ing despatches ; all sorts of itinerant venders, with their 
wares ; heavily laden wagons, with small yellow ban- 
ners flying, which showed they carried supplies to the 
Palace, Sometimes a group of horsemen would dash 
gaily past, the retainers of some splendidly attired 
young Prince, who rode in their midst on a red- 
saddled, handsomely caparisoned horse with silver 
trappings. Anon, the cumbersome, red, fringe-be- 
decked cart of some Princess, preceded and followed 
by from fifteen to thirty outriders, according to her 
rank in the Princely hierarchy, the black carts of her 
women bringing up the rear. 

One can tell the rank of the Chinese from the out- 

31 



With the Empress Dowager 

sides of their chairs or carts. Only a reigning Em- 
peror and Empress can go abroad in yellow chairs. 
The Emperor's secondary wives ride in orange-colored 
chairs. The relicts of an Emperor, first or secon- 
dary, go in yellow or orange-colored carts. Princesses 
go abroad in red carts. Mandarins of the first and 
second degrees ride in green chairs ; those of the third 
and fourth in blue chairs ; and there is still another 
shape and style of chair for the ordinary individual, 
who may prefer a chair to a cart. The rank and file 
go in carts. These carts, peculiar to Peking, curious 
two- wheeled vehicles with heavy, iron-studded wheels, 
are uniformly covered in blue cloth. The wealth and 
standing of their occupants are discernible from the 
quality of the cloth and its trimmings, and the rich- 
ness of the harness and trappings of the mule which 
is always used in the Peking carts. The mule in North 
China is a magnificent animal, much finer than the 
Chinese horse, which is only a pony. 

The Seventh Prince (Prince Ch'un) must have been 
a most interesting personality. He was brother to 
the Emperor Hsien-Feng, the husband of the present 
Empress Dowager j and his wife, the mother of the pres- 
ent Emperor, was Her Majesty's sister. This Prince 
was a valued friend of the two Empresses, the present 
Empress Dowager and She of the Eastern Palace, 
while they were Co-Regents during the minority of 
the late and a part of that of the present Emperor, 
and he remained, up to the time of his death, one of 
the most trusted advisers of the Regency. He was 
recognized by foreigners, as well as by the Chinese, to 
be an enlightened Prince as well as a man of fine 

32 



The Palace of the Emperor's Father 

character. The esteem in which he was held may 
have had something to do with the choice of his sec- 
ond son as the Successor of the late Emperor Tung- 
Chih, who died childless. The Chinese Emperors and 
their Council may choose the Successor to the 
Throne. If there be but one son, he is chosen as the 
next Heir ; if there be a number, a selection may be 
made from them of the one seeming to be most suited 
for the exalted position. If there be no sons, the 
Successor is chosen from the nephews without refer- 
ence to their age or to their being the sons of an 
elder or younger brother. The present Emperor's 
Father, Prince Ch'un, was the seventh brother of the 
Emperor Hsien-Feng, hence his Chinese name of 
'^ Seventh Prince." 



33 



CHAPTER IV 

HER MAJESTY'S THRONE-ROOM— SOME PERSONAL 
CHARACTERISTICS 

WE arrived at the Palace in good time the next 
morning, as Her Majesty and suite were com- 
ing out of the Great Audience Hall. She greeted us 
with a charming smile and made her usual inquiry for 
my health. We joined her suite and went along to 
the Throne-room where the portrait had been begun. 
This Throne-room is a very spacious and lofty hallj 
one side of the great room is almost entirely of glass, 
with only the wooden columns that support the roof 
between the windows— the lower half of plate-glass, 
the upper of lattice-work with Corean paper as shades. 
In the center of this side of windows is a huge plate- 
glass door, reaching from ceiling to floor. The other 
three sides of the hall, which separate it from the 
apartments at the side and back, are of the same 
beautiful, open woodwork carving I have mentioned as 
serving as partitions in my pavilion. Those in Her 
Majesty's Throne-room were, however, of greater 
delicacy of workmanship and were more beautiful as 
to the painted panels. The poems, written on white 
silk, and alternating with the painted panels, were 
from Her Majesty's favorite authors, original poems- 

34 



Her Majesty's Throne-room 

written by an Emperor or Empress, or laudatory 
verses dedicated to Her Majesty. There were satin 
portieres at the doorways, and blue silk curtains over 
the plate-glass windows. Blue, being the Empress 
Dow^ager's favorite color, is used for all the hangings 
in the Palaces which are not intended for official pur- 
poses 5 where yellow is the color. 

On the right of the Throne-room is a small chapel 
with an altar, over which presides a figure of the con- 
templative Buddha seated on the lotus. This altar 
was always sweet with offerings of fresh flowers and 
fruit. In front of the figure of Buddha stood the 
incense-burner, with perfumes constantly burning. 
On the left of the Throne-room are Her Majesty's 
sleeping apartments, and behind the openwork parti- 
tion at the back of the hall is a large ante-chamber 
where the attendants and Ladies await their turn 
to make their entrance into the Throne-room. In the 
rear of the haU is a magnificent five-leaved screen of 
teakwood, inlaid with lapis lazuli, chalcedony, and 
many other semi-precious stones. In front of this 
screen, on a dais, stood an immense, couch-like throne, 
with a large footstool. These couch-like thrones, where 
Their Celestial Majesties may recline when holding 
Audiences, are not at all favored by the Empress 
Dowager, who always sits extremely erect, without 
leaning upon a cushion or the back of the throne. Ex- 
cept in the Great Audience Hall, where she uses the 
traditional throne of state of the Dynasty, she prefers 
a much lighter and quite modern one, which she 
has introduced into the Palaces. The thrones favored 
by Her Majesty are of open carved teakwood, circular 

35 



With the Empress Dowager 

in form, with cushions of Imperial yellow. One of 
these stood in the front part of this hall, on which 
she sat for the portrait. 

The great throne, which I have described above, 
was hence relegated to the back of the Throne-room 
and kept for the sake of tradition, but never used by 
Her Majesty. On either side of it stood two immense, 
processional fans of peafowl feathers, with ebony 
handles placed in magnificent cloisonne supports. 
Superb cloisonne vases stood at either side of these 
ceremonial fans ; and huge bowls of rare old porcelain 
held pyramids of fruits— apples, sweet-smelling 
quince, and the highly perfumed " Buddha's hand." ^ 

And there were flowers everywhere ! It was the 
season of the year when bloomed a sort of orchid, of 
delicious fragrance, of which Her Majesty is very 
fond. These were growing in rare porcelain j ardinieres, 
placed at intervals around the hall. There were also 
vases of lotus flowers and bowls of lihes. The com- 
bined odors of all these fruits and flowers gave a 
subtle, composite perfume quite indescribable and 
delightful, but not at all overpowering, for the Em- 
press Dowager is so fond of fresh air that there are 
always windows open in the Palace, even in the coldest 
weather. 

Aside from the fruits and flowers, clocks were the 
dominant feature of this Throne-room, as well as of 
every other one I ever went into in any of the Chinese 
Palaces. The love of the Chinese for clocks and 
timepieces is well known, and there are thousands 
in each of the Palaces I visited. In this Throne-room 
there were, as I have said before, eighty-five : 

36 



Her Majesty's Throne-room 

magnificent jeweled and gold clocks, and specimens 
of all the varieties that were ever made ; some with 
chimes ; some with crowing cocks and singing-birds ; 
some with running water ; some with musical-box at- 
tachments, and others with processions of figures that 
came out at every hour and moved around the dial ; 
some rare works of art and some commonplace ex- 
amples of the clockmaker^s trade. There are m any- 
foreign ornaments in the Palace, but, aside from the 
clocks and watches, Her Majesty the Empress 
Dowager does not seem to care much for European 
" objets de virtu." Unfortunately, what they have at 
the Palaces, aside from a few presents from European 
sovereigns, are generally very poor specimens of 
European art, and compare but lamentably with the 
beautiful Chinese curios. They are principally cheap 
modern stuff, bought by the Chinese nobles when 
abroad and sent as presents to Their Majesties. 
These presents, when they are accepted, are placed in 
apartments of the Palace not in general use. 

When Her Majesty had her official garments re- 
moved (she always changed her dress after the morn- 
ing Audience), and when the portrait had been placed 
upon the easel, she came over to look at it. After 
studying it for some time, she concluded that the nail- 
protectors on both hands were not artistic, and that 
she would have the gold ones (set with pearls and 
rubies) taken off, and show the uncovered nails on the 
right hand. I was delighted at this decision, for the 
nail-protectors destroyed the symmetry of the hand 
and hid the beautiful tips of her fingers. I had, of 
course, not presumed to make any suggestions as to 

37 



With the Empress Dowager 

her costume or ornaments. As the nail-shields are 
characteristic of the high-class Chinese ladies, it was 
well to have them on one hand. 

After this change had been decided upon, she went 
over to a great vase, standing near, and took from it 
a lotus flower, held it up, in a charmingly graceful 
way, and asked me if that would not be pretty in the 
portrait, adding that the lotus was one of her attri- 
butes. As the color did not harmonize with the gen- 
eral scheme, I did not care for this suggestion, but 
temporized by saying ''I was not ready to put it in 
then." After a little more than an hour's work, with 
the usual interruptions, she decided that enough had 
been done for that morning. When I suggested that 
I might work even after Her Majesty was tired, she 
said " No," that if she were tired sitting still, I could 
not fail to be more so doing the work and standing 
as I did. She said there was no hurry, that I had 
plenty of time to finish the picture, and must not run 
the risk of making myself ill. 

After a short sitting in the afternoon Her Majesty 
ordered the boats, and we went out to the marble 
terrace, beneath which lay moored the Palace fleet, 
manned by blue-gowned oarsmen. We again took 
the Imperial barge, the Empress Dowager in the cen- 
ter, on her yellow chair, the young Empress and Prin- 
cesses sitting around, Turkish fashion, on cushions. 
The barge, drawn along by the two great boats, glided 
as gently as a swan over the still waters of the lake. 
The air was soft and balmy. Two of the eunuchs were 
ordered to sing, and the minor chords of a curious air 
mingled their rhythm with the soft swish of the water. 

38 



Some Personal Characteristics 

Beyond us lay the hills, the beautiful Western Hills, 
unchanging in form, but ever varying in color— some- 
times blurred and gray, or a soft, warm violet ; again 
a clear, deep blue, as if hewn out of lapis lazuli, and now 
and then, as a cloud passed over the sun, dark and 
threatening almost. I drank in deep breaths of delight ! 

The quaint picturesqueness of the marble-terraced 
banks, the summer-houses, the green and yellow tiled 
roofs, the vermilion walls and lacquered columns of 
the buildings, the curious fleet silently moving along, 
the eunuchs singing, the Empress Dowager sitting in 
state surrounded by her Ladies, the camel-back bridges 
—everything was strange, and, stranger still, I formed 
a part of this curious pageant ! Only the beautiful 
hills beyond seemed familiar. 

After drifting about for some time, we landed and 
went into the orchards and among the apple trees. 
The apple is a favorite fruit of the Chinese, and es- 
teemed as much for its fragrance as its taste. It is 
emblematic of Peace and Prosperity, and is always 
placed among the offerings to Buddha, hence has also 
a sacred quality; but, though beautiful in form and 
color, the Chinese apple has very little taste, and the 
least savor of any of their fruits. 

Her Majesty walked about among the trees and 
ordered several apples gathered, which she ate with 
greater relish than I could, for she graciously of- 
fered me one, and then told me to pull some for my- 
self. A eunuch brought a basket and took them as I 
gathered them, and she told me to have them taken 
to my own apartments. 

From the orchard she continued her walk to the 

39 



With the Empress Dowager 

flower gardens, where she picked some small blooms 
and placed them behind her ears, Spanish fashion, 
telling the Ladies to do likewise, and herself choosing 
some for me and placing them over my ears. I 
knew these little marks of favor she showed me 
were not due so much to regard for me as to her de- 
sire to make the ^^ stranger " feel at home. She hoped 
by showing me these special favors to insure a 
similar treatment of me by the Ladies and eunuchs. 
I have already alluded to Her Majesty's love of 
flowers. This was the one of her characteristics 
which seemed most incompatible with the idea I had 
formed of her from what I had heard, and her love of 
flowers and all nature caused me first to change that 
idea. It seemed to me no one could love flowers and na- 
ture as she did and be the woman she had been painted. 
She had flowers always about her. Her private 
apartments, her Throne-rooms, her loge at the The- 
ater, even the Great Audience Hall where she only 
went to transact affairs of state and hold official 
Audiences, all were decorated with a profusion of 
flowers, cut and growing— never, though, of but one 
kind at a time. She wears natural flowers in her coif- 
fure always, winter and summer, and however care- 
worn or harassed she might be, she seemed to find 
solace in flowers ! She would hold a flower to her face, 
drink in its fragrance and caress it as if it were a sen- 
tient thing. She would go herself among the flowers 
that filled her rooms, and place, with lingering touch, 
some fair bloom in a better light or turn a jardiniere 
so that the growing plant might have a more favor- 
able position. 

40 






'\ .M^ 



I .li 



THE PRIN'CESS IMPERIAL, FIRST LADY OF THE COURT 
A I'RINXESS IN WINTER COSTUME A PRINCESS IN SUMMER COSTUME 



PRINCESSES OF THE COURT 



Some Personal Characteristics 

The Chinese do not place certain cut flowers in 
water, but keep them dry in bowls or vases, to get 
their full fragrance. The Empress Dowager had some 
quaint conceits about the arrangements of these. She 
would have the corollas of the lily bloom or the fra- 
grant jasmine placed in shallow bowls in curious, 
star-like designs, beautiful to look at, as well as most 
fragrant. 

Her passion for flowers being generally known 
among the courtiers, Princes, and high oflicials, they 
send daily offerings to the Palace of all that is rare and 
choice in the way of plants and flowers, for they know 
this is one present Her Majesty will always accept and 
appreciate. 

There are some quaint customs in the Palace, as to 
flowers and fruits that grow within the Precincts. 
Though the Princesses and Ladies have the freedom 
of the gardens and may pull as many flowers and cull 
as many fruits as they wish, it is not etiquette for 
them to gather the smallest flower or to touch a fruit 
when in the presence of the Empress Dowager, unless 
they are especially told to do so. When Her Majesty 
tells them to pull a flower or fruit, the permission is 
gratefully accepted and that special flower or fruit 
religiously kept. The first fruits of every tree and 
vegetable, the first flowers of every plant and growing 
shrub in the Palace grounds, are considered sacred to 
Their Majesties, and no Princess, attendant, or eunuch 
would touch a flower or fruit until the Empress Dowager 
had been presented with the first of them. All these, 
apparently trivial, marks of respect to the Sacred Per- 
sons of Their Majesties were religiously observed ! 

41 



CHAPTER V 

THE YOUNG EIVIPRESS AND LADIES OF THE COURT 

THE young Empress, the first Lady of the Court 
after Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, was, 
to me, a charming character. She is the daughter of 
the Duke Chow, General of one of the Manchu Banner 
Corps and a brother of the reigning Empress Dowager. 
She is thus a first cousin of the Emperor, and is his 
senior by three years. Her mother, a lady of high 
birth, ancient lineage, and great distinction, brought 
her up with much care. She also had the advantage 
of being a great deal at the Court with her august 
Aunt, and is highly accomplished, according to Chinese 
standards. She was affianced at an early age to the 
Emperor, but, as the custom is, their marriage did 
not take place for several years later. It was cele- 
brated with great pomp at the Winter Palace in Feb- 
ruary, 1889, the week before the young Emperor him- 
self took in hand the reins of Government, held, up 
to that time, by the Empress Dowager, and became 
Emperor in reality. 

The young Empress has the erect carriage and light, 
swift walk of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. 
She is small, not quite five feet tall, with exquisitely 
dainty hands and feet, of most patrician type. She 

42 



The Young Empress 

has a narrow, high-bred face, with a thin, high 
nose. Her eyes are more of the Chinese type, as we 
conceive it, than either the Emperor's or Empress 
Dowager's. Her chin is long and of the type gener- 
ally called strong. Her mouth is large and extremely 
sensitive. Her eyes have so kindly a look, her face 
shines with so sweet an expression, criticism is dis- 
armed and she seems beautiful. She has a sweet dig- 
nity, charming manners, and a lovable nature, but there 
is sometimes a look in her eyes of patient resignation 
that is almost pathetic. I should not say she pos- 
sessed any great executive ability, though full of tact, 
but while Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was in 
retirement and she was the first Lady at Court, she is 
said to have shown great capability in her conduct of 
affairs. Her dignity, perfect breeding, and natural 
kindness of heart would insure this. 

The next Lady, after the young Empress, is the only 
secondary wife of the Emperor. She is said to have 
been extremely beautiful at the time she was chosen 
as his second wife by the Empress Dowager. She 
belongs to an excellent family, being the daughter of a 
Viceroy, but though only twenty- eight years old when 
I knew her, she was already very stout, and there were 
few remains visible of great beauty. She has very 
large, full-orbed, brown eyes, and still has a beautifully 
clear complexion, but her nose is flat, her mouth large 
and weak ; the contour of her face is marred by layers 
of flesh, her forehead does not indicate much intelli- 
gence, and she has very little distinction in appear- 
ance. She seems good-natured, but is neither very 
clever nor tactful. She is not a favorite among the 

43 



With the Empress Dowager 

Ladies generally, and is not nearly so interesting, in 
any way, as the young Empress. She is, however, 
treated with the most kindly consideration by the 
young Empress and has precedence over all the other 
Ladies, and her position at Court is second only to 
that of the young Empress. Whenever I mention the 
young Empress, it may be understood that the second- 
ary wife followed immediately after her, coming before 
the Princesses or any other of the Ladies forming the 
Court of Her Majesty. I have often seen allusions 
made to the '^ Imperial Harem " ; there is no such thing 
as an Imperial Harem at the Court of His Majesty the 
Emperor Kwang-Hsu. He has only these two wives. 
Her Majesty's Ladies-in-waiting are principally 
Princesses of the Blood or the widows of Imperial 
Princes. Her first Lady, Sih-Gerga (Fourth Princess), 
daughter of Prince Ching, the Prime Minister, is a 
widow of twenty-four. She married, at the age of six- 
teen, a son of a high Manchu official, Viceroy of 
Tientsin, and was left a widow a few months later. 
She is a beautiful young woman, with face a perfect 
oval, large brown eyes, and a clear, magnolia-leaf com- 
plexion of exquisite texture. She would be called 
beautiful, judged by any standard. She has no chil- 
dren of her own, but, like most ladies of position who 
are widows or childless, has an adopted son. Adopted 
children in China are much closer relationships than 
is a child, by adoption, with us. In many instances 
their own parents are still living when they are 
adopted, and even these parents speak of their child 
as the son of the adopted mother or parents, and bow 
to her wishes in bringing up the child. 

44 



"*l* 



"•%^ 




^ll# 



V 



^ 




THE YOUNG EMPRESS YE-HO-XA-LAH 

First Wife of the Emperor of China 



The Young Empress 

The next two Ladies of the Court are two Duchesses 
—also widows. Widows in China never remarry, or if 
they do, they lose caste and reputation. They are not 
sacrificed on the funeral pyres of their departed hus- 
bands, as in India; but a voluntary suicide on the 
part of a widow in China is still looked upon as a 
noble act. A widow who remains faithful to the 
memory of her husband during a long life is rewarded 
by the greatest respect and consideration during her 
life, and honored after death. 

If a girl prefers to remain unmarried, if a 
widow remains faithful to the memory of her 
husband, she is honored after her death with much 
pomp and ceremony ! And great memorial arches 
are erected in her memory! All over China, one 
is constantly coming upon these arches to widows 
and virgins. If the family is not sufficiently wealthy 
to raise these monuments themselves, public subscrip- 
tions are taken, all the relatives contribute, and often 
the inhabitants of the village or the country where the 
heroine lived beg to be allowed to have their part in 
raising a monument to her memory. These arches, of 
stone or wood, are elaborately carved, sometimes with 
remarkable sculptures of fabulous animals, flowers, 
and thousands of birds of every kind (these latter 
showing the immortality the soul has acquired). 
Across the entablature of the arch, cut deep into 
the stone or wood, and gilded or painted in glowing 
vermilion, shines the name of the virgin or widow 
to whom it is erected, and on the sides of the arch is 
inscribed an account of her virtuous acts. 

A girl is sometimes affianced at the early age of 

45 



With the Empress Dowager 

from six to eight years, and the affianced is from that 
time spoken of as her husband. Should he die before 
they marry, which is never earlier than sixteen for 
the bride, she is considered a " widow," and must 
henceforth live the life of a recluse. She can never 
marry any one else. She may adopt a son, who will 
call her '' mother"; but she may never hope for the 
joys of family life of her own, without calling down 
upon her head the obloquy of all whose respect she 
desires. She wears deep mourning the first three 
years after his death, and then second mourning ; and 
she can never again put on the festive red, joyous 
green, or any other color except blue or violet— second 
mourning. 

The Northern Chinese and the Manchu ladies use a 
great deal of paint and powder on their faces ; but a 
widow can never add one artificial iota to the rose of 
her cheek, to the cherry of her lips, or the lily of her 
brow. She can nevermore use paint or powder. In 
most instances the Chinese ladies are but the prettier 
for this, for they have beautiful skins, and the use of 
powder and paint is carried to such an excess as to be 
quite unnatural. 

There are only eight of Her Majesty's Ladies who 
live always in the Palace, but this number is increased 
about four times on festive occasions. The Princess 
Imperial, the Empress Dowager's adopted daughter, 
is the first of the Princesses at Court, and, when she 
comes to the Palace, ranks next to the Empress and 
the secondary wife of the Emperor. 

One evening, at dinner, in the Throne-room, Sih- 
Gerga undertook to tell me the relationships of the 

46 



The Young Empress 

different Princesses to each other and to the young 
Empress. Incidentally, this made them related to the 
Emperor and the Empress Dowager, but neither of 
Their Majesties' names was mentioned in this connec- 
tion, for such would have been a great piece of pre- 
sumption, amounting almost to sacrilege. They might 
be related, but no Princess would dare mention such 
a thing. It would be against all the laws of Chinese 
proprieties. I found, after this explanation of Sih- 
Gerga's, that the Ladies were all related by consan- 
guinity or marriage to each other and to the young 
Empress. 

There are a number of tiring- women and maids in 
the Palace who are called by outsiders '' slaves"; but 
they are not slaves, or, if they are so, it is but for a 
time, a space of ten years. Every spring, the daugh- 
ters of the lowest of the Manchu families, the Seventh 
and Eighth Banners, are brought into the Palace to 
be chosen from, by the Empress and Empress Dow- 
ager, for maids and tii'ing- women. One day, on 
going to the Palace, I saw a number of ordinary carts 
near one of the Postern Gates, and I learned they had 
brought crowds of these girls of the families of the 
Eighth Banner. They are first passed in review by 
the Head Eunuch, and he selects from them, those he 
thinks may please Her Majesty. These pass before 
her, and she tells the Head Eunuch which ones are to 
remain in the Palace. They are brought to the Palace 
from the ages of ten to sixteen years. They remain 
in service for ten years, after which time they are 
allowed to return to their families ; and in case they 
have been satisfactory and pleased Their Majesties, 

47 



With the Empress Dowager 

they are given a comfortable dot and are provided with 
a handsome marriage outfit, which causes them to make 
much better marriages than they would otherwise do. 
During their so-called ten years' slavery in the Palace, 
they live upon the fat of the land, have beautiful 
clothes and many advantages. They wear, while in 
Her Majesty's service, blue gowns, with their hair 
plainly parted at the side and braided in a single long 
braid (tied with red silk cords), which hangs down the 
back. They wear bunches of flowers over each ear. 
The young Empress and secondary wife, as well as 
each of the Princesses, have their own maids and 
tiring- women, who remain in the private quarters of 
these Ladies. 

Besides these young maids, there are in the Palace a 
number of old women, servants of Her Majesty, who 
have been married and have children ; these overlook 
the younger women, direct the work of the lower 
eunuchs, and are in a position somewhat similar to 
housekeepers with us. Among these is a Chinese 
woman who nursed Her Majesty through a long ill- 
ness, about twenty-five years since, and saved her life 
by giving her mother's milk to drink. Her Majesty, 
who never forgets a favor, has always kept this 
woman in the Palace. Being a Chinese, she had 
bound feet. Her Majesty, who cannot bear to see 
them even, had her feet unbound and carefully 
treated, until now she can walk comfortably. Her 
Majesty has educated the son, who was an infant at 
the time of her illness, and whose natural nourish- 
ment she partook of. This young man is already a 
Secretary in a good yamen (Government Office). 

48 



The Young Empress 

No Chinese lady of position ever dresses herself or 
combs her own hair, and she generally has three or 
four personal maids. These are, in many instances, 
bought outright from their parents, and might be 
considered really slaves; but they are treated with 
great consideration and even friendliness by their 
mistresses, and have in most instances a happy lot. 
As these maids are bought when they and their mis- 
tresses are children, they grow up together, and 
though the maid never forgets the respect due her 
mistress, they are on a much more friendly footing 
than mistress and maid could ever be in Europe in 
such cases. 

The first of a lady's maids stands behind her at 
table, no matter how many servitors there may be ; 
goes out with her, sits with her, and sleeps either in 
her room or at her door, and is almost her constant 
companion. When the time comes for them to marry, 
they are given a comfortable outfit by their mis- 
tresses, and are cared for to the third and fourth 
generation; but the children of the so-called slaves 
are free, unless the mother or parents decide, of their 
own free will, to sell them, as they have been sold, to 
some good family. 



49 



CHAPTER VI 

CONTINUATION OP THE PORTRAIT— HER MAJESTY'S 
DOGS 

I HAD daily morning sittings from Her Majesty 
for the portrait, but always surrounded by the 
whole Court, with eunuchs coming and going. The 
sittings were long enough, for I had an hour in the 
morning and a half -hour in the afternoon with Her 
Majesty, but she did not expect me to work except 
when she posed, and this was not enough to make any 
headway on the picture, as there was a great deal I 
might have done at other times. Though there was 
so much going and coming in the Throne-room, it was 
a great advantage working in Her Majesty's own 
'' milieu," surrounded by her favorite furniture, flowers, 
and fruits. This was some compensation ; but I saw, 
if Her Majesty insisted upon' my resting when she 
did— if I were allowed to work only in the Throne- 
room and only when she posed— the work could not go 
on as it should. Sitting for her portrait seemed to be 
looked on somewhat in the light of an amusement by 
the Empress Dowager, as a time for conversation and 
relaxation. She put me many questions while she 
sat, and I felt she was studying me as closely as I was 
studying her during that time. 

50 



Continuation of the Portrait 

My interest in the personality of this wonderful 
woman increased each day. I loved to watch the ex- 
treme mobility of her countenance when she was at 
ease and was not invested in her official expression, 
nor her Buddha-like pose. Her voice was most musi- 
cal, with no indication of age in it. Her enunciation 
was clear, and I loved to hear her talk. Though un- 
derstanding but little of what she said, the music of 
her voice, the grace of her gesticulations, and the 
charm of her smile made her conversation most de- 
lightful to watch and listen to. 

I was delighted that Her Majesty seemed to like 
me, and I appreciated her consideration in not wish- 
ing me to tire myself out with my work, and her kind 
hospitality which desired to make me acquamted with 
the charms of the Summer Palace and which allowed 
me to participate in her promenades and the simple 
amusements of her Ladies ; but I felt it was important 
to advance the work on the portrait as quickly as possi- 
ble. I knew that the ^' favor of kings " is uncertain, 
and I feared Her Majesty might soon tire of this 
new departure, of having her portrait painted ! I 
feared the openly expressed opposition of the Chinese 
to a foreign lady being made a member of the Court 
circle, their superstition regarding the painting of a 
portrait of one of Their Majesties, which was against 
all Chinese tradition, might any day put a stop to the 
work ; but, notwithstanding my fears and my desire to 
work, the days passed with little painting, and this 
was the only flaw in my perfect enjoyment of the 
fairy-like days and the unique experiences through 
which I was passing. 

51 



With the Empress Dowager 

The walks with Her Majesty had all the pomp and 
ceremony of the boat-rides— Her Majesty's and the 
Empress's yellow-satin sedan-chairs, with their six 
bearers, leading off, followed by the red chairs of the 
Princesses and Ladies-in-waiting, according to their 
rank, with a rigorous adherence to precedence, and at- 
tended by an army of eunuchs and chair-bearers, etc. 
No one ever knew what our destination was to be 
when we started out on these walks, Her Majesty 
directing her chair-bearers as she was carried along, 
and the others following this lead ; but we were always 
taken to some interesting spot, where there was some- 
thing quite worth seeing. When Her Majesty's chair 
stopped, all the others were immediately put down by 
the bearers, and the Ladies got out and went up to 
where the Empress Dowager's yellow camp-stool was 
placed. She had excellent taste in the choice of stop- 
ping-places, and the views were always picturesque. 
She seemed to take great pleasure in showing off 
the charming points of view, as well as the flowers, 
grounds, and buildings. 

On one of our walks, her dogs were brought out by 
their attendant eunuchs. Dogs are great favorites with 
all the Chinese, and especially with the Empress Dow- 
ager. She has some magnificent specimens of Peking- 
ese pugs and of a sort of Skye terrier. The pugs are 
bred with great care and have reached a high state 
of perfection, their spots being perfectly symmetrical 
and their hair beautifully long and silky, and they are 
of wonderful intelligence. The King Charles spaniels 
are said to have been bred out of the first of these 
dogs ever carried to Europe. The Empress Dowager 



Continuation of the Portrait 

has dozens of these pets, but she has favorites among 
them, and two are privileged characters. One of these 
is of the Skye variety, and is most intelligent and 
clever at tricks. Among other tricks, he will lie as 
dead at Her Majesty's command, and never move 
until she tells him to, no matter how many others 
may speak to him. Her other favorite she loves for 
his beauty. He is a splendid, fawn-colored Peking- 
ese pug, with large, pale-brown, liquid eyes. He is 
devoted to her, and she is very fond of him, but 
as he was not easily taught, even as a puppy, she 
called him ^^ Shadza" (fool). Her dogs all have most 
appropriate names, given by herself. They know Her 
Majesty's voice and will obey her slightest word. 

The Empress Dowager does not care for the small 
sleeve-dog; she hates the thought of their being 
stunted by being fed only on sweets and wines. She 
says she cannot understand animals being deformed, 
at man's pleasure. The day we first met the dogs in 
the garden was the first time I had seen them. They 
rushed up to Her Majesty, not paying the slightest at- 
tention to any one else. She patted their heads and 
caressed and spoke to her favorites. After a while 
they seemed to notice that a stranger was present, 
and they bounded over toward me. Some of them 
growled and showed other evidences of displeasure, 
some seemed surprised almost to fear; but as the 
instinct of a dog never deceives him as to who is his 
friend, this was all soon changed to friendly greetings. 
I bent down to caress them, and forgot my surround- 
ings, in my pleasure at seeing and fondling these 
beautiful creatures. I glanced up, presently, never 

53 



With the Empress Dowager 

dreaming Her Majesty had been paying any attention 
to me, as I was standing at a little distance behind 
her, and I saw on her face the first sign of displeasure 
I had noticed there. It seems her dogs never noticed 
any one but herself, and she appeared not to like her 
pets being so friendly with a stranger at first sight. 
Noticing this, I immediately ceased fondling them, and 
they were presently sent away. It was but a momentary 
shadow that passed over her face, and I quite under- 
stood the feeling. One does not like to see one's pets 
too friendly with strangers, and I had been tactless in 
trying to make friends with them at once. 

A few days later, on another of our walks, some 
young puppies were brought to be shown the Em- 
press Dowager. She caressed the mother and examined 
critically the points of the puppies. Then she caUed 
me up to show them to me, asking me which I liked 
best. I tried not to evince too much interest in them 
this time, but she called my attention to their fine 
points and insisted upon my taking each of them up. 
She seemed to be ashamed of her slight displeasure 
of the day before, and to wish to compensate for it. 

The dogs at the Palace are kept in a beautiful 
pavilion with marble floors. They have silken 
cushions to sleep on, and special eunuchs to attend 
them. They are taken for daily outdoor exercise and 
given their baths with regularity. There are hun- 
dreds of dogs in the Palace, the young Empress, the 
Princesses and Ladies, and even the eunuchs, having 
their own. Some of the eunuchs are great fanciers 
and breeders of them. One of them still breeds the 
sleeve-dog. Her Majesty's known dislike to these 

54 



Continuation of the Portrait 

latter is probably the cause of fewer being bred in the 
Palace now than formerly; and the race is slowly 
dying out. All the other dogs in the Palace, except 
Her Majesty's, are kept in the apartments and Courts 
of their owners, and are not seen by her. 

She dislikes cats very much, but some of the eunuchs 
have very fine specimens of the felines. They keep 
them, however, ''sub rosa" and within rigid bounds, 
on no condition allowing them to come within Her 
Majesty's ken. 

The pavilion at the Summer Palace where the Em- 
press Dowager's dogs were kept was near her Throne- 
room, and also near the pavilion she had set aside for 
me. When the Court was taking its siesta, I used to 
go out where the dogs were basking in the sun in their 
court and look at and play with these interesting little 
animals. I was free to do as I pleased, and no one but 
the dogs' guardian eunuchs saw me there. 

Among the younger set, of these pampered pets, 
was one that caught my fancy — one of those which 
had been brought for Her Majesty to look at in the 
garden. He was a beautiful white-and-amber-colored 
Pekingese pug. He soon learned to know me and 
would come running to me when I crossed the thresh- 
old of the court. Not long after I had discovered 
where the dogs were kept and had been paying them 
my daily visits, one night, when we had finished 
dinner at Her Majesty's table, one of her eunuchs 
brought in this very little dog and put it in my arms, 
saying Her Majesty had presented it to me from her 
own kennel ! She had evidently learned of my visits 
to the dogs, though none of the eunuchs around her 

S5 



With the Empress Dowager 

person had seen me go there, at least so I thought 1 
I was delighted to own this beautiful animal, and 
when the Empress Dowager came into the Throne- 
room from her own apartments, I went up to her and 
kissed her hand and thanked her for it. She seemed 
much pleased that I liked it, and remarked that she 
had heard it was my favorite of her dogs, that I was to 
call him ^'Me-lah" (Golden Amber), from the color of 
his spots. Her Majesty and the Princesses were all 
much amused at the way he followed me around, not 
leaving my side for an instant, nor paying any atten- 
tion to their frequent efforts to attract his attention. 
From that day, he became my constant companion 
and faithful friend. 



56 



CHAPTER VII 

FESTIVITIES AT COURT 

PREPARATIONS were now beginning at the 
Palace for the celebration of His Majesty the 
Emperor's Birthday. This is not celebrated on the 
anniversary of the day he was born, but two days 
earlier. His Majesty must make the Autumnal Sac- 
rifices to his Ancestors three days after the real date 
of his Birthday, and he must prepare himself for 
these sacrifices by a rigorous fast of three days. As 
it would be impossible to accomplish the ceremonial 
prescribed for the Imperial Birthday while fasting, 
the celebration of the Birthday was advanced, a 
special edict having been issued by the two Em- 
presses, when Co-Regents for the young Emperor, 
ordering the Birthday celebrations to be advanced 
by two days, for the date of the sacrifices could not be 
changed — the sacrifice to one's Ancestors being the 
most sacred of obligations to the Chinese, and most 
rigidly and religiously observed. Even the Chinese 
Emperor's Birthday is not celebrated for two years 
after the death of his predecessor, so rigorous are the 
rules of respect to the dead and the rites accorded to 
one's Ancestors in China. 

I knew no painting could be done during these 

57 



With the Empress Dowager 

festivities, and I expected to go back to the United 
States Legation. I never dreamed I should be in- 
vited to participate in this celebration, hitherto unseen 
by any foreigner. A week before the Birthday itself, 
when out for one of our walks with Her Majesty, she 
called me up to her side and said the Emperor's Birth- 
day was to be celebrated the next week, and invited 
me to remain in the Palace for these festivities. I 
was, of course, overjoyed at this gracious mark of 
her favor, and delighted to be able to see the Oriental 
pomp and pageantry that accompanied these cere- 
monial celebrations in China. 

There were to be magnificent theatrical perform- 
ances, splendid fireworks and decorations, and all 
sorts of pageants. The Imperial company of actors 
had already begun rehearsing special poems and 
plays, written to celebrate the occasion. Eunuchs were 
constantly bringing Her Majesty specimens of the 
work of the decorators and painters who were carry- 
ing out her designs as to special scenes and tableaux, 
or coming to ask for further instructions. The 
literati, who were preparing the original poems, sent 
in their manuscripts, that she might judge of their 
merits and make suggestions. She herself overlooked 
every detail, and seemed most interested and anxious 
to have everything successful. 

The festivities began four days before the Birthday 
with gala performances at the Theater, Each day 
the decorations of the buildings, the courts, and gar- 
dens increased in beauty. In the principal courts, 
magnificent bronzes, all sorts of antique instruments 
of music, used only on these great occasions, were 

58 



Festivities at Court 

brought out as decorations; for music forms part 
of every ceremonial, official or religious, in China. 
Among the curious instruments were splendid bronze 
frames, with several superposed octaves of triangular 
musical-stones suspended therefrom; elaborately 
carved supports for different-toned bells; huge ^'tri- 
angles" ; immense bronze '^ tam-tams," curiously and 
beautifully wrought; big drums on splendid bronze 
stands; wonderfully chased bells; and many other 
quaint instruments, used only for official and state 
processions in honor of Their Celestial Majesties. 

The slanting and projecting, upturned roofs of the 
different buildings forming the Palaces were decorated 
with scarfs of vari-colored silk, knotted into a curious 
sort of fringe of rosettes, about two feet long ; yellow, 
the Imperial color, and red, the festive color, pre- 
dominating, but other colors were introduced into 
the color-scheme to accentuate these. 

The large Square in front of the Imperial gateway, 
outside the Precincts, was filled with huge, tent-like, 
yellow satin umbrellas, with deep curtains around 
the edge. These umbrellas are used for all great 
festivities in China, and are generally of red. Those 
for the Emperor's Birthday were, of course, of the 
Imperial yellow, and were richly embroidered with 
emblematic designs. Presents for the Emperor were 
arriving daily from all parts of the Great Empire, 
and though everything was directed by splendid sys- 
tem the commotion was nevertheless great. 

Finally, there was the first gala performance at the 
Theater. Her Majesty occupied her loge nearly all 
day, overlooking every detail, sending now and then 

59 



With the Empress Dowager 

to the stage one of her eunuchs to transmit her Im- 
perial commands as to the speaking of certain lines 
or the using of certain postures. On the day of this 
gala performance she invited all the Ladies of the 
Palace to lunch, for the first time since I had been 
there, in the court of the Theater. Her Majesty 
lunched in the Imperial loge, and then ordered our 
repast to be served in the court, where tables were 
laid and served with all the pomp and ceremony 
that characterized the meals at the Palace. Even 
this " al-fresco " entertainment was ceremonious. 

Most of the large courts of the Summer Palace 
have roofs of matting erected over them, to keep out 
the sun. These mat-roofs make, of the flower-filled 
courts, delightfully cool, outdoor parlors. The mat- 
sheds at the Palace are almost works of art. Tall 
poles, reaching from twenty to thirty feet above the 
roofs surrounding the courts to be protected from the 
sun, are painted in festive designs, and they support 
transversal beams, also gaily painted. Over these 
roof -beams are stretched strips of the beautiful mat- 
ting which the Chinese excel in making. Matting- 
curtains drop from the roof of the sheds to a level 
with the Palace roofs. These side-curtains, as well as 
huge sections of the matting-roof, are movable, and 
may be opened and raised by means of cords and 
pulleys attached to the supporting pillars. The whole 
structure, supporting pillars and transversal beams, 
is tied together with ropes the same color of the 
beams, and not a nail is used. The mat-sheds are put 
up in June and taken down in September. 

New ladies were arriving at the Palace every day 

60 



Festivities at Court 

for a' week before the Birthday— members of the 
Imperial Family from a distance, and the wives and 
daughters of Manchu nobles who were of sufficient 
rank to present their congratulations in person. The 
young Empress never failed to introduce me to these 
ladies. A foreigner in the Chinese Court is a much 
more extraordinary circumstance than a Chinese at a 
European Court would be, and this was, in most in- 
stances, the first meeting of these Princesses with 
any foreigner; but they were uniformly courteous 
and even cordial, never evincing the slightest curiosity 
as to my dress or my habits. I doubted whether a 
Chinese at a European Court, or at our White House, 
would have been treated with the same consideration 
by all, even to the servants. The children, of whom 
there were several at Court at this time, were as well- 
bred as their ^elders in their treatment of the ''foreign 
lady." 

After our first lunch in the court of the Theater, 
when the theatrical performance of the day was 
finished and the actors had left, I approached the 
stage of the Theater and began examining, with in- 
terest, its construction and appointments. The 
Palace Theater is raised about twelve feet from the 
ground, and its main floor is on a level with the 
Imperial loge. The building consists of three stories 
and a cellar. The latter is used for the few pieces of 
scenery of the scenic plays, and is where the simple 
devices used for movmg it are manipulated. Like the 
Greek theater, the stage is open on three sides ; and the 
actors come out and speak their parts, their entrance 
being to the left and the exit to the right of the stage. 

6i 



With the Empress Dowager 

Her Majesty was within her loge while I was ex- 
amining the construction of the Theater; but she 
evidently noticed my movements, for the eunuchs soon 
threw open the great plate doors and she descended 
the steps of the Imperial loge and came across the 
court to where I was standing. She asked me if I 
would not like to go on the stage and look over the 
building and examine things thoroughly. She added, 
" You probably may never have such a chance to see 
a good Chinese theater again." She, herself, went up 
the steps leading from the court to the stage, and told 
me to follow her. 

The stage is about twenty-five feet square, is roofed 
over, and projects into the court, its three sides being 
open. The fourth side has doors and curtains for the 
entrance and exit of the actors. There are no actresses 
in China. The men perform the parts of women, and 
represent them with such success that I was much 
surprised when I learned there were no actresses. At 
the back of the stage sit the musicians, who accom- 
pany all the theatrical performances in China. 

Her Majesty, herself, led the way across the stage 
and we went behind the scenes. Here, I examined 
closely a number of "Floats" that were to be used, in 
the procession in honor of the Emperor, on the day 
of the Birthday. These floats had all been designed 
by the Empress Dowager. After we had looked at 
these, she suggested that I had better see the upper 
floors. These latter are not in general use in Chinese 
theaters. The theaters, even at the other Palaces, 
have but one stage. The steps which lead to the 
second stage, and thence to the third stage, are behind 

62 



Festivities at Court 

the scenes. The two upper stages are used for 
spectacular plays and tableaux, when certain of the 
players group themselves in pyramidal form on these 
superposed stages and speak their lines therefrom. 
The upper stages have also trap-doors and pulleys for 
use in the spectacular plays. Her Majesty went up, 
herself, to show me these stages. She mounted the 
steep and difficult steps with as much ease and light- 
ness as I did, and I had on comfortable European 
shoes, while she wears the six-inch-high Manchu sole 
in the middle of her foot, and must really walk as if 
on stilts. 

Neither the Empress Dowager nor any of the Man- 
chu ladies bind their feet ; that custom prevailed in 
China before the Manchu conquest. The Manchus 
have adopted many of the manners and customs of 
the Chinese, but the Manchu women have retained 
their own individuality j and to-day, after more than 
two hundred and fifty years in China, they still wear 
their native costume, entirely different from the 
Chinese women. They still dress their hair in the 
picturesque Manchu fashion. They not only have 
never bound their feet, but they have as great a hor- 
ror of it as Europeans have. Manchu ladies are not 
bound by the same rigid social conventions as are the 
Chinese women. They are less circumscribed and 
have more individual freedom than any other Oriental 
women. In fact, the Manchu woman seems to be, to 
other Oriental women, what the modern American 
woman is to her European sisters. 



63 



CHAPTER YIII 

HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR KWANG-HSU 

THE Emperor Kwang-Hsu was barely eighteen 
years old when Her Majesty the Empress Dow- 
ager, Regent of the Empire, handed over to him the 
reins of Government, admonishing him in a parting 
Imperial Decree to '^ discipline his body, develop his 
mind, love his People, and give unceasing attention 
to the administration of Government," which Decree 
His Majesty responded to in fitting terms, by another 
Decree, begging " Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 
to continue to advise him in important affairs," say- 
ing he ''would not dare to be indolent," that only 
after prayer and sacrifice " to Heaven and Earth and 
his Ancestors would he Himself begin to administer 
affairs of State on the 15th day of the First moon of 
the 13th year of his Reign " ! He began to reign by 
our count the 25th day of February, 1889, under the 
appellation of "Kwang-Hsu" (Glorious Succession). 
The name under which an Emperor of China reigns is 
not his own, but one chosen for him, and has generally 
some appropriate signification or some symbolic mean- 
ing. 

His Majesty Kwang-Hsu is the twelfth Emperor, 
who has reigned over China, of the Dynasty of the 

64 



His Majesty the Emperor 

" Great Purity/' as the Manchu Dynasty is called.^ 
His reign began at the age of five years, under the 
Co-Regency of the Empress of the Eastern and Em- 
press of the Western Palaces. The former died in 
1881, and from that time on Her Majesty, the present 
Empress Dowager, ruled alone as " Regent." His 
reign, counting the years of the Regency, has already 
lasted thirty years, the third in point of length of any 
of the Emperors of the Manchu Dynasty. 

His Majesty the Emperor Kwang-Hsu was nearing 
the completion of his thirty-second year when I was 
first presented to him. I found him an interesting 
study, but not to the degree of Her Majesty the Em- 
press Dowager, who has charm and is so fascinating. 
The Emperor is singularly devoid of this quality of 
" charm," and has but little personal magnetism. He 
interests one, nevertheless. Her Majesty is Universal, 
the Emperor is typically Oriental. In person he is of 
slight and elegant figure, not more than five feet four 
in height. He has a well-shaped head, with the intel- 
lectual qualities well developed, a high brow, with 
large brown eyes and rather drooping lids, not at aU 
Chinese in form or setting. His nose is high and, 
like most members of the Imperial Family, is of the 
so-called " noble " type. A rather large mouth with 
thin lips, the upper short with a proud curve, the 
lower slightly protruding, a clear-cut, thin jaw, a 
strong chin a little beyond the line of the forehead, 
with not an ounce of superfluous flesh on the whole 
face, give him an ascetic air and, in spite of his rather 
delicate physique, an appearance of great reserve 
strength. His complexion is not so white and clear 

65 



With the Empress Dowager 

as that of the other members of the Imperial Family, 
for the Manchus have whiter skins than the Chinese j 
but this seems more the result of delicacy than natu- 
ral with the Emperor. His luxuriant, very long hair, 
a characteristic of the Manchus, is beautifully silky 
and glossy and always arranged with the greatest 
care. It is said he much dislikes being shaved, but 
tradition, immutable in China, does not allow a man 
under forty, even if he be the '^ Son of Heaven,'^ to 
wear a mustache or whiskers. Like all well-bred 
Chinese, he has small feet and hands, the latter long 
and thin and most expressive. The Emperor dresses 
with extreme neatness and great simplicity, wearing 
few ornaments and no jewels except on State occa- 
sions. His face is kindly in expression, but the glance 
from his rather heavy-lidded eyes is shrewd and in- 
Jjelligent. His manner is shy and retiring, but this 
does not seem to be so much from a lack of confi- 
dence in himself as from the absence of that magnetic 
quality, which gives one an appearance of assurance. 
He seemed to me the ideal of what one would 
imagine an Oriental potentate to be, whose title is 
the " Son of Heaven." There is a Sphinx-like quality 
to his smile. In his eyes one sees the calm, half- 
contemptuous outlook upon the world, of the fatalist. 
There is an abstractness in the subtilty of his regard, 
an abstractness that embodies one's idea of the 
" Spirit of the Orient." At first it is difiicult to tell 
whether this comes from a sense of power or from a 
knowledge of the lack of it, but that firm and fleshless 
jaw, that ascetic face and keen eye, show there must 
be reserve strength, that there can be no lack of 

66 



His Majesty the Emperor 

power, should he wish to exert it. Over his whole face 
there is a look of self-repression, which has almost 
reached a state of passivity. 

Does he dream of future greatness for the Empire ? 
Does he feel that though his first efforts at governing 
have failed, he can bide his time— that all things will 
come to him who waits ? Enigma, difiicult to divine ! 
But it almost seems so ! He appears to fully realize, 
now, that he made a mistake in the choice of his in- 
struments and time, in his efforts for Progress. But 
the look of eternal patience in the half -veiled regard 
of those large eyes seems to show that he will yet try 
,/ to accomplish China's salvation— that he is but waiting 
his opportunity. 

^ There is no evidence of the Emperor's feeling any 
animosity toward the Empress Dowager. Their re- 
lations, though rigidly formal, as is necessary from 
their exalted positions, seem to be most friendly. If 
there is any feeling on his part as to the check his 
Government received by the " coup d'etat " of 1898, he 
does not seem to feel that Her Majesty is responsible 
for it. It was not she who put a momentary stop to 
his dreams of Progress. It was Chinese conservatism, 
a coalition of powerful ministers who put up the bar- 
riers of the "coup d'etat" before him when His 
Majesty thought to drive on to Progress. 

The Empress Dowager returned from her retire- 
ment and took up the reins of Government again, at 
the earnest prayers of the wisest Statesmen of China. 
She was persuaded by them, and she also believed, 
that the Emperor was driving the Chariot of State too 
fast over the difficult and ill-kept roads of traditional 

67 



With the Empress Dowager 

Chinese routine. She felt that His Majesty, as well 
as the state, would soon be dashed to pieces if he 
continued as he was then going. It seems as if the 
Emperor realizes it all now. His unfathomable eye 
hides an infinity of possibilities, perchance a world of 
events. Is he quietly studying how to seize opportu- 
nity, when it next passes, and leap upon its back and 
lash it on to Progress or to— Ruin? He would meet 
either with that same stoical. Sphinx-like smile, I feel 
confident. 

He seems, now, to giv^e but little advice. He holds 
Audiences, however, and sees many of the officials 
alone. He issues edicts independent of Her Majesty j 
but on all grave affairs, and at the meeting of the 
Grand Council, Her Majesty is always present, and 
the decisions are the results of their two opinions. 
When despatches were brought into Her Majesty's 
Throne-room when the Emperor was present, they 
were first handed to her, and, after glancing them 
over, she would give them to him. He, after care- 
fully reading them, handed them back to her with 
V rarely a comment. One could see, though, that this 
was not from ignorance of the subject, but that he 
trusted, for the time being, to Her Majesty's greater 
experience. 

Though the Emperor does not seem to feel that the 
time has come for him to act, he studies every event 
with the closest attention, and is well informed upon 
every subject connected with the welfare of the state. 
As long as the Empress Dowager sits upon the throne 
with him, I think he will not try to make any of his 
ideas paramount to hers. He knows that she also 

68 



His Majesty the Emperor 

wishes Progress for China, and that her methods, 
more conservative and necessarily slower than his, 
may, in the end, accomplish just as good results. He 
seems to trust her thoroughly, and to be willing to 
have her take the lead. He knows, and the world 
will soon see, that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 
is also vowed to Progress for China; that she is not 
anti-progressive, nor against reform, now that she 
feels the time has come for Progress and Reform. 
Her late edicts show this. 

Whether the remodeling of China's laws, which will 
bring her into line with the Great Nations of to-day, 
will come during the Emperor's life; whether his 
power of waiting and his patience may enable him to 
reach the time when accomplishment shall crown his 
efforts, who can tell ! In the meantime, he fulfils his 
duties as Official Head of the Empire, rigidly observ- 
ing all public and private ceremonies incumbent upon 
him as Emperor. 

The Emperor occupies a Palace fronting on the 
Great Lake as elegant and luxurious as Her Majesty's. 
He has his own eunuchs and attendants, and leads his 
own life, quite independent of Her Majesty and the 
Ladies. He pays his respects to his ^' august aunt 
and adopted mother" every morning before the Au- 
dience, and they go together to transact affairs of 
state, after which he returns to his own Palace and 
follows his own pursuits. On festivals, when the 
Theater is going, he comes into the Imperial loge 
during the representations, and, on these days, joins 
the Empress Dowager and the Ladies in their walks 
around the gardens or in boating on the lake. He 

69 



With the Empress Dowager 

also dines with Her Majesty on these occasions. He 
does not seem to care as much for the Theater as she 
does, nor to follow it with so much interest. He 
often leaves the Imperial loge in the middle of a 
play, and goes to his own Theater Throne-room, just 
behind the great Imperial loge, where he passes the 
time in reading or smoking, which he never does in 
the presence of Her Majesty. 

He occupies himself daily with his studies, among 
which is English. He is a great reader. There is a 
special official, at the Palace, who buys His Majesty's 
books, and they say this is no sinecure, as he does not 
devote himself only to Chinese literature and the 
classics, but devours translations of foreign works 
and is constantly calhng for new ones. They say he 
always reads a book a day, besides attending to his 
other duties. 

He is passionately fond of music, plays on a num- 
ber of Chinese instruments, and has even tried 
the piano. He has a good ear for music, and can 
pick out any air he has heard upon any instrument 
rat his disposal. He is very clever, also, in a mechani- 
Ucal way, and can take to pieces and put together a 
clock, with fair success. He has been known, how- 
ever, to fail in getting the very complicated mechan- 
ism of some of the Palace clocks properly together 
again. The Empress Dowager is constantly fearing 
that His Majesty will take some of her favorite clocks 
to pieces and not be able to put them into working 
order again ; and he will not allow any one else to 
finish what he has begun. 

He is a very early riser, often getting up as early 

70 



His Majesty the Emperor 

as two A. M. When there was some ceremony in 
Peking or some sacrifice to his Ancestors, he would 
go the sixteen miles, perform the ceremony or sacri- 
fice and return in time for the Audience at eight 
o'clock, and it takes two hours and a half for the Em- 
peror's swift runners to carry him the sixteen miles 
between the Summer Palace and Peking. He does not 
seem to care for young associates, either men or 
women, though he is very fond of children. He had 
but few favorites in the Palace, and quite ignored the 
pretty young girls and women of Her Majesty's ^' en- 
tourage." He seems to have great respect for cleverness. 
There are certain distinctions made with refer- 
ence to Her Majesty and the Emperor, which are 
rather curious. Her Majesty, being his Ancestress, is 
first in everything. She sits upon the Throne in the 
Great Audience Hall, while His Majesty sits on a stool 
at her left. He walks beside her chair when they go 
out, and stands in her presence, but when they dine 
together he sits in the place of honor at the end of 
/the table. When Her Majesty dines alone, her chop- 
sticks and spoons, as well as the covers of her yellow 
porcelain dishes, are of silver. When Their Majesties 
dine together, the covers of the dishes are of gold, and 
His Majesty's chop-sticks and spoons are also of gold. 
I never knew what kind of covers or chop-sticks were 
used when the Emperor dined alone 5 for this was 
always in his own Palace, and I never saw his Palace 
except from the outside. It was not considered good 
taste, nor according to the '^ Proprieties," even to look 
that way when the Ladies happened to pass it in their 
promenades. 

7.1 



With the Empress Dowager 

When His Majesty walked in the grounds with 
only his own attendants, without being in the train of 
the Empress Dowager, his walks were in parts of the 
grounds not frequented by the Ladies, On Festival 
days, when he went out in the Imperial barge, or 
walked with Her Majesty and the Ladies, as he some- 
times did, he went through these promenades with his 
usual courteous demeanor, but he did not seem to 
enjoy them, and when they were finished he would 
return with his own attendants to his own Palace. He 
assisted Her Majesty when she was entertaining the 
Foreign Representatives, but one, who knew him, 
could plainly see that he was bored by these Audi- 
ences. He would slip away at the first opportunity, 
not because he objected to the foreigners, but that 
these state functions were not to his taste. Her 
Majesty would have preferred him to do his share in 
the entertainment of the Foreign Representatives and 
be more " en evidence." Though never out of temper 
or disagreeable on these occasions, and while he 
seemed to wish to do his duty, he seemed anxious to 
get them over. Whether from shyness or dislike at 
the functions, I could not tell. 

1 Confucius says " Purity is the Essence of Heaven." Did the 
Manchus call theirs the " Dynasty of the Great Purity " with a know- 
ledge of Confucian teaching, that the descendants of the Dynasty of 
the Great Purity (Essence of Heaven) might become literally the " Sons 
of Heaven," the appellation borne by the Emperors of China ? 



72 



CHAPTER IX 

THE EMPEROR'S BIRTHDAY 

WE went to the Palace early the day of His 
Majesty's Birthday, and were in the Empress 
Dowager's Throne-room at six o'clock in the morn- 
ing; but long before that time, the outer court was 
filled with the red and yellow chairs and carts of the 
visiting members of the Imperial Family, who had 
come in from Peking and from the neighboring Pal- 
aces for the day. The high eunuchs were in gala cos- 
tume, wearing silken gowns of great beauty, embroi- 
dered in the Double Dragon. The eunuchs of lower 
rank were more simply gowned, as the representation 
of the Double Dragon on the Court gown is only 
allowed to those of a certain rank. Our chair-bearers 
were clad in the festive red, with brocaded figures, 
representing the characters for Longevity. 

We passed through the beautifully decorated courts, 
past the gaily decked Palaces to the Throne-room of 
Her Majesty, where the Emperor had come to receive 
the private congratulations of the Princesses of the 
blood and the Ladies of the Court. It would have 
been against the laws of Chinese etiquette for these 
Ladies to go into the Emperor's Palace to congrat- 
ulate him, even on such an occasion as his Birth- 

73 



With the Empress Dowager 

day. When we entered the Throne-room, the Em- 
peror was seated, or rather, reclining upon a lounge 
in the most informal manner. He was not averse, as 
was Her Majesty, to the reclining position when on 
the Throne. His greater Orientalism was evidenced 
here, for the Oriental proverb says, "'T is better to be 
sitting than standing, to be lying than sitting," etc. 
He sat up a little straighter on our entrance, and the 
Ladies made the formal Chinese bow, which he re- 
turned by a friendly nod and kindly smile. I made 
the European reverence as usual. 

His Majesty was dressed a little more elaborately 
than usual, in a yellow gown, tightly belted in around 
his slender waist with a handsome belt-buckle of jade. 
At this morning salutation by the Ladies of his family, 
his hat lay beside him on the couch, which showed it 
was unceremonious, for ceremonies are carried on by 
the Emperor and all Chinese with their hats on. The 
great Imperial Pearl, one of the most precious of the 
Imperial jewels, formed the button of his hat on his 
Birthday. The seven official ranks of Mandarins are 
shown by the different colors of the buttons worn on 
their hats. The color of these buttons denotes the 
rank acquired by their wearers, those of the Mancliu 
Princes, alone, being hereditary. The buttons of 
these latter are generally of jewels or semi-precious 
stones. The Emperor, the most simply dressed man 
I saw in China, wears, as a rule, a plain red silk button, 
but the Pearl, which can only be worn by a reigning 
Emperor, is used on state occasions. 

After we had greeted His Majesty, we moved further 
into the Throne-room to await the '^ lever " of the Em- 

74 



The Emperor's Birthday 

press Dowager. When she came out of her sleeping 
apartments, the Ladies fell upon their knees and sim- 
ultaneously repeated the words of greeting used every 
morning to Her Majesty, '^Lao-Tzu-Tzung Chee-Siang" 
(Great Ancestress, be happy). After acknowledging 
their salutations, she advanced and held out her hand 
to me, and I took it and, as was now my custom, raised 
the tips of her fingers to my lips. I, of course, never 
made any but a European salutation to either Her 
Majesty or the Emperor. She was very gracious 
and said I would be the first foreigner who had 
ever seen the birthday celebration of any of the Sons 
of Heaven, and she hoped I would enjoy it ! She then 
commented on my dress and ornaments, examining the 
few jewels I wore. After this she turned to the Ladies 
and, with a quick glance, took in all the details of 
their Court costumes, calling their attention to the 
way their official ,beads hung and signaling any little 
deviation from traditional forms that she noticed in 
their attire. She was extremely rigid as to all the 
details of Court dress. 

The Court costume of the Ladies is magnificent. 
That worn at the Emperor's Birthday (the summer 
costume) was of the stiff transparent silk I have 
described in the gown worn by Her Majesty for the 
portrait. The Court costume of the married ladies 
is of dark red, embroidered in golden dragons. The 
widows wear blue 5 the unmarried girls, bright red— all 
with the Double Dragon embroidered thereon. The 
married ladies and widows, when in Court attire, 
wear a magnificent court head-dress with jeweled 
crown. The young girls, even in Court dress, wear 

7S 



With the Empress Dowager 

the ordinary Manchu coiffure, with the long red silk 
tassels falling to their shoulders. The young Empress 
was charming on the Birthday. Her head-dress was 
of golden filigree, thickly set with jewels. Across the 
front, nine beautifully chased golden phenix, with 
jeweled tails outspread, held in their bills strings of 
pearls that fell to her shoulders and veiled her fore- 
head. Square, conventionalized bunches of flowers 
projected from either side of this curiously and elabo- 
rately wrought head-dress. Her gown was of the Im- 
perial yellow, embroidered with the golden Double 
Dragon. She had, around her neck, a solid piece of 
chased gold, like a huge open ring, with balls at the 
ends ; and she wore the official beads that are always 
worn in Court dress by Princes and Officials and their 
wives. The Emperor and Empress Dowager are the 
only members of the Court who wear, neither the 
Double Dragon on their Court dress, nor the official 
beads. Suspended from the Empress's neck was a 
magnificently embroidered stole, about four inches 
wide, which reached to the hem of her gown. This 
stole is only worn by the wives of Emperors, during 
their husband's lifetime. The young Empress seemed 
imusually happy to-day, and this was the first time I 
had ever seen her and the Emperor in conversation. 
Next to the young Empress came the only secondary 
wife of the Emperor. She was dressed exactly as the 
young Empress was ; the same gown, the same head- 
dress, the same embroidered stole, only her jewels 
were not so handsome, and her dress, instead of being 
of the Imperial yellow, was of orange. Yellow can only 
be worn by the first wife of an Emperor ! 

76 



The Emperor's Birthday 

After the salutations to the Emperor and Empress 
Dowager in Her Majesty's private Throne-room, Her 
Majesty went out into the court and took her place in 
her yellow chair of State, the Emperor following, on 
foot, as was his custom. The cymbals clashed. The 
flutes sounded and all the instruments of the Imperial 
Band played the curious minor air, with its tragic 
undertone of sound, its rhythm like a Gregorian 
chant, which is only played at the passing of Their 
Majesties for some great ceremony or official function, 
and which I soon called the '^ Imperial Hymn." This 
is the only approach to a National air that I ever 
heard in China. 

Their Majesties went in ceremonious procession to 
the Great Audience Hall, where the Princes, Nobles, 
and high Officials privileged to enter Precincts, 
were to present their homage and congratulations to 
the Son of Heaven on the happy occasion of his 
Birthday. Besides these privileged visitors, there 
were a number of officials whose rank was not high 
enough to allow them to enter the Great Hall of 
Ceremonies. These kneel and make the prostrations 
in the outer courts. 

The young Empress and Ladies of the Court did 
not follow Their Majesties to the Great Hall, but 
stopped at the Palace of the young Empress, to await 
there their turn for the official congratulations, which 
were not to be made until after those of the Princes 
and Nobles. The young Empress is a charming 
hostess, and her eunuchs and women handed us tea 
and cigarettes while we were waiting. She also had 
her dogs brought in for me to see. Her apartments 

77 



With the Empress Dowager 

opened on a sunny court, full of flowering shrubs and 
fruit trees. Around the other three sides of the 
court were built the pavilions for the use of her 
attendants and ladies. We spent half an hour in 
her pavilion, waiting for the congratulations of the 
Princes and Nobles to be finished. 

The Emperor, for these official congratulations, was 
seated upon the Dynastic Throne, erect and stiff as 
an archaic figure; no longer the shy boy, but the 
Monarch clothed in all his power, and, for to-day, 
alone upon his great ancestral Throne. He was 
attended by his Master of Ceremonies, gorgeously 
attired, who stood in the rigid attitude prescribed for 
this ceremony. 

Each splendidly garbed Prince and Noble knelt and 
made the prostration prescribed by the Book of Rites, 
and each presented His Majesty with a jade emblem, 
called by the Chinese '' ruyie," ^ erroneously supposed 
to be a scepter by most foreigners; but the *'ruyie" 
is simply an emblem of Good Luck, and may be pre- 
sented on festive occasions to any one whom the 
givers wish to honor, and is not an emblem of Impe- 
rial authority. The Emperor held each of these 
''ruyie" in his hands for a few seconds after their 
presentation, bowed profoundly to the kneeling 
Prince, and then handed the emblem to an attendant 
eunuch, who placed it on a Dragon table at the left 
of the Emperor. When the Princes and Nobles had 
congratulated His Majesty and left the Throne-room, 
the young Empress and secondary wife, followed by 
the Princesses and Ladies, went in to make their offi- 
cial congratulations. The greeting in Her Majesty's 

78 



The Emperor's Birthday 

Throne-room in tlie morning had been but a friendly- 
salutation, without any official signification. The 
young Empress knelt and made her bow first and 
presented— as did each of the Ladies— a ^'ruyie." She 
made the same official salutation as did the others, but 
her ^^ruyie" was of a much richer style than those 
presented by the other Ladies. 

After the ceremony of formal congratulations was 
over. Her Majesty, the Emperor, and Empress, followed 
by the Ladies and attendants, went in state to the The- 
ater, with the same ceremonial and pomp with which 
they had gone into the Hall of Ceremonies. The Em- 
press Dowager, who was always the most gorgeously 
attired person at Court, was, on His Majesty's Birth- 
day, dressed with an extreme simplicity that amounted 
almost to plainness, and she wore no jewels. This 
plainness of attire was not an accident, but had been 
arranged with her usual forethought. She wished the 
Emperor and Empress to be the central figures of 
this day's festivities, and did not wish to vie with the 
Empress even in her attire. 

The Princes and Nobles, who had come to the Pal- 
ace for the official congratulations, were invited to 
the theatrical performance. They occupied the boxes 
that ran at right angles to the Imperial loge, which I 
have already described as forming the other two 
sides of the court of the Theater. A huge screen of 
painted silk, twelve feet high, was stretched from the 
last of the boxes occupied by the Princes to the stage— 
allowing the latter to be perfectly seen by the occu- 
pants of the boxes, but cutting off their view of the 
Imperial loge, whence Their Majesties, the Empress, 

79 



With the Empress Dowager 

and Ladies viewed the play. These invited guests 
are thus neither seen by the Imperial party, nor can 
they see the latter. 

When Their Majesties and the Empress were seated 
in their loge, the principal actors came to the front 
of the stage, knelt, and ^^ kow-towed" to the Imperial 
box. Then the play began. There was first a noisy 
burst of weird music, then the chief actor recited a 
laudatory, congratulatory poem in honor of the 
Birthday of the Emperor, wishing His Majesty ^' ten 
thousand years" of happiness and all the blessings 
possible. The poem was 'intoned like a chant by the 
actor, dressed in the gorgeous historic costume of an 
Imperial Herald of the time of Kublai Kahn. This 
poem was most impressive. One of the verses ran 
thus : 

*' The vast merits of His Imperial Majesty's August 
Ancestors have been handed down to Him from gen- 
eration to generation. 

^' To the wisdom of His whole Dynasty we owe it, 
that we have lived in happiness, 

'^ Ever ready to comply with the lofty teaching of 
our Rulers, leading us unto Good. . . ." 

The poem went on to recite His Majesty's merits 
as a son, his respect for his August Mother, his 
filial piety, and ended mth a wish that Great China 
might flourish and prosper— grow strong outwardly 
and inwardly, through the blessings of his reign and 
his desire for Progress. 

After this poem had been intoned by the chief 
actor, with the whole company of players grouped 
around on the lower, as well as on the two superposed 

80 



The Emperor's Birthday 

stages, all in splendid historic costumes, there was an- 
other noisy clash of weird music and the play itself 
began. The Chinese theater, which goes on from 
morning to night with a series of plays, generally 
begins with a short one, a curtain-raiser of a quarter 
to half an hour^s length. To-day it began at once, 
after the poem was intoned, with a great historic 
drama. The exploits and high deeds of former Em- 
perors were shown, and the actors were magnificently 
costumed in superb historic gowns which had been 
handed down from antiquity and were absolutely 
authentic. 

At haK-past eleven, with the Theater still in full 
swing, the eunuchs brought out tables of sweetmeats 
on the verandah of the Imperial loge, and set them 
before the young Empress and the Princesses and La- 
dies, and we were served to refreshments. Sweets and 
fruits in China are served between the regular meals. 
The sweetmeats to-day were "birthday food,^^ and 
were all inscribed with some character meaning 
'^ Longevity," " Good Luck," " Happiness," " Peace," 
etc. There were pyramids of the delicious crystallized 
fruits which the Chinese excel in making ; macedoines 
of queer fruits, nut pastes, almond creams, and all the 
fresh fruits in season. With this preliminary repast 
were served, also, some delicious Chinese wines. 

Soon after the repast of sweetmeats was finished, 
we were served in the court of the Theater this 
time to the regular meal. It was an immense table 
to which we sat down on the Emperor^s Birthday. 
There were so many Princesses, Duchesses, and Ladies 
of high degree from a distance, that our usual number 

8i 



With the Empress Dowager 

was more than quadrupled. The repast was a joyous 
one. The Chinese are very witty and gay, and though 
I could not understand all the scintillations of wit, 
their gaiety was contagious ! Each gave me special 
delicacies that she liked, to try, and each seemed to vie 
with the other in endeavoring to make the " stranger '' 
feel at ease. Some of the Ladies drank champagne 
in my honor, and held up their glasses toward me as 
they had seen the foreigners do. When the elders 
had finished eating, the young people sat down. 
These were the children of the Princesses and Nobles 
who had been invited to join their parents for these 
festivities at the Palace. No girl or boy under six- 
teen is allowed to sit down with their elders to a cere- 
monious dinner at the Palace. 

Soon after we had finished our gay luncheon in the 
court of the Theater the Ladies retired within their 
loge, next to that of Their Majesties, and the screen 
which hid the visiting Princes and Nobles from the 
Imperial party was removed by the attendant eu- 
nuchs. When it was taken away, there sat, Turkish 
fashion, the great Princes and high Nobles in their 
splendid Court dress. Those of the highest ranks 
occupied the boxes nearest the Imperial party. The 
Princesses pointed out to me, from their box, their 
brothers and kinsmen and others whom they recog- 
nized; but we saw without being seen, and were 
only looking from behind the scenes. 

The eunuchs then handed around refreshments to 
the Princes and gentlemen, sweetmeats and fruits, 
such as we had partaken of before our luncheon. 
Then there were some huge steaming silver caldrons 

82 



The Emperor's Birthda 



y 



brought into the court, and from these caldrons the 
eunuchs ladled into bowls some sort of white drink. 
As we had had nothing of this kind at our repast, I 
was curious to know what it might be. I knew it 
could not be wine, for that is served only in tiny cups, 
and this was served in the ordinary- sized eating-bowls. 
I was much surprised to learn that this drink was 
simply hot milk, flavored with almonds, and slightly 
sweetened, a drink of which the Manchus are very fond, 
and which is a special mark of Imperial favor, given 
only on great occasions. The gentlemen raised their 
bowls to their lips with both hands and drank it off 
with great ceremony, as if it were a sacred beverage, 
and seemed, in drinking it thus, to pledge the Em- 
peror's Health and Happiness. 

After the Princes had partaken of these refresh- 
ments, and while some eunuchs were removing the 
caldrons and dishes, another army of eunuchs came 
in, in pairs, each pair carrying between them trays of 
Imperial yellow, decorated with the red characters for 
Longevity. These trays contained presents from the 
Emperor to each of the invited guests, for His Maj- 
esty gives as well as receives presents on his Birth- 
day ! There was no difference made in the presents 
given, each tray being the exact counterpart of every 
other. Each contained a pair of porcelain vases from 
the Imperial Potteries, a bronze Incense-burner, a 
scroll with a quotation from the classics or an apho- 
rism of Confucius written thereon. The scrolls were 
inclosed in silken covers, tied with the Imperial colors. 
There was also a jade ^^ruyie" in each tray, such as 
had been handed the Emperor at the morning cere- 

83 



With the Empress Dowager 

mony, and an Archer's ring. After the contents of 
the trays had been delivered to each gentleman pres- 
ent, and the empty trays borne away by the Palace 
eunuchs, the dividing screen was again placed be- 
tween the visiting Princes and Their Majesties, and 
the young Empress and Ladies went out of their loge 
to the verandah once more, and the theatrical per- 
formance again went on. In fact, it had been going 
on throughout our luncheon and the subsequent 
entertainment of the Princes, but we had paid no 
attention to it. 

At four o'clock there was the grand ^^ finale." The 
three superposed stages were occupied by all the 
gorgeously attired actors, and another Hymn of praise 
to the Emperor was intoned. He was extolled as the 
Son of Heaven and representative on earth of Buddha, 
and other extravagant wishes for 'Hen thousand 
years" of happiness were made. When this Hymn 
was finished, the floats, which we had seen the day 
before behind the scenes, came out in procession. 
These floats represented mythical animals, Buddhas, 
fairies, and personifications of the higher attributes. 
There were gigantic fruits which opened, disclosing 
figures representing eternal beauty, perfect happiness, 
and serene old age. Prominent among the gigantic 
fruits was the peach, the emblem of Longevity. Last 
of all, in this curious procession, came the Imperial 
Dragon, of huge proportions. Its contortions, as it 
struggled for the Flaming Pearl, emblematic of the 
unattainable, were most curious. All these figures 
made their obeisances to Their Majesties and the Em- 
press. They were accompanied by splendidly clothed 

84 



The Emperor's Birthday 

warriors, heralds, princes, and many gorgeously at- 
tired attendants, bearing banners and escutcheons. 
After the procession had made the tour several times, 
the dragon stopped with his huge head in the middle 
of the stage, made an obeisance to His Majesty, then 
raised it with a mighty roar and spouted forth— a 
copious shower of fresh spring water, which sprinkled 
the whole flower-filled court ! The Empress and Prin- 
cesses were all in the secret and knew what was com- 
ing, but they kept it from me, and much enjoyed my 
start of surprise as some of the spray fell upon me, as 
I had advanced to the very edge of the verandah in 
order to miss nothing. 

When all was finished, the screen was again re- 
moved and the great glass doors of the Imperial loge 
were thrown open, so that Her Majesty and the Em- 
peror could be seen. The visiting Princes and Nobles 
came forward from their places and knelt in a body, 
though still observing the laws of precedence as to 
their ranks. They knelt three times, and bowed their 
heads to the ground nine times to thank Their Majes- 
ties for the entertainment they had received. To 
receive these prostrations from the Princes, the Em- 
peror and Empress Dowager assumed their Buddha- 
like poses and acknowledged the genuflexions by a 
formal inclination of their heads. When the Princes 
had retired, the actors, clothed in their usual gar- 
ments, came to the front of the stage and knelt and 
^'kow-towed," but Their Majesties did not return this 
salutation. 

When the Princes and players had left and the 
Imperial party was alone, cushions were brought into 

85 



With the Empress Dowager 

the middle of the court, the Emperor and Empress 
and secondary wife knelt thereon, while their '' Great 
Ancestress," the Empress Dowager, preceded by aco- 
lytes, smnging golden incense-burners which gave 
forth azure clouds of perfumed smoke, came down 
the steps to the weird accompaniment of the flutes and 
cymbals playing the '^ Imperial Hymn." The Emperor 
and Empress knelt to do Her Majesty homage, as the 
greatest living member of their Ancestors. When she 
reached them, they arose and followed her, and the 
three moved along in stately procession to the slow 
beating of the cymbals, followed by the Princesses and 
Ladies and all the attendant eunuchs. The subtle per- 
fume of the incense, the stately rhythm, the splendid 
costumes, the flashing jewels and brilliant colors, 
made a magnificent picture never to be forgotten. 
The Imperial procession moved through several sunlit 
courts until it finally came to the entrance of the 
Sacred Hall, containing the Ancestral tablets; here 
the Empress Dowager stopped at the threshold 
until His Majesty and the young Empress had 
passed within, to complete the ceremonies of the 
day by worshiping and kneeling together before 
the tablets of their Ancestors. The music ceased. 
The ceremony was finished. His Majesty the Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu had accomplished another year. 

1 Generally written " jui," but pronounced as I have written it. 



86 



CHAPTER X 

PEKING— THE SEA PALACE 

THE Autumnal Sacrifices to his Ancestors and His 
Majesty's consequent three days' abstinence, to 
prepare for them, put a stop to fui-ther festivities 
after the Birthday, which would have otherwise con- 
tinued for several days longer. The day after the 
Birthday was a quiet one at the Palace. Her Majesty 
was feeling tired and did not care to pose, after the 
Audience in the morning. The visiting Princesses 
and Ladies were preparing to leave the Palace; the 
eunuchs and Her Majesty's maids were bustling 
around, preparing for the moving of the Court to 
Peking, for Her Majesty and the Court, as well as the 
Emperor, were to go into one of the City Palaces the 
following day. Her Majesty ordered luncheon to be 
served in one of the beautiful summer-houses in the 
gardens, about a mile from the Palace, for she said a 
change would be good for all. 

This summer-house, or rather Palace, situated on a 
hill overlooking the lake, was one of Her Majesty's 
favorite resorts. She often went to it, after a tiring 
Audience, and spent the rest of the day there, lunch- 
ing and dining, and even taking her siesta there. 
Whenever she went to any of these Palaces inside the 

87 



With the Empress Dowager 

inclosure, she always invited all the Ladies of the 
Court to accompany her. It made a change in the 
monotony of their lives. This Palace was very 
luxuriously fitted up, and contained a splendid 
library, with thousands of volumes of the classics 
and Her Majesty's favorite authors. The view from 
its broad verandahs and fair marble terraces was one 
of the finest, even of the many beautiful ones, in the 
grounds. We lunched on the wide verandah and 
drank in the beauty of the scene. No wonder Her 
Majesty loved this spot ! Beneath lay the beautiful 
grounds of the Summer Palace, with its calm lake and 
winding streams. On an eminence beyond, the grace- 
ful seven-storied pagoda that forms so characteristic 
a feature in all the views of the Summer Palace, 
proudly reared its stately height. On the right lay 
the temple-crowned hills, the upturned roofs of their 
buildings nestling on their slopes like a flight of 
gigantic gaily-hued birds, with wings outspread. In 
the distance, beyond a soft gray undulating land- 
scape, with fields of brilliant green here and there, 
lay Peking, with its walls and towers, enveloped in a 
golden haze. 

After luncheon and the siesta. Her Majesty called 
me up and said she was to go into Peking on the 
morrow, and asked whether I wished the portrait to 
be taken in for the three days the Court was to 
remain in the City. She said she would be much 
occupied with ceremonies and sacrifices, and there 
would be but little time for painting, but if I wished 
to work she might be able to give me a short sitting ! 
I told her I did not care to have the portrait taken 

88 



Peking — The Sea Palace 

into the City, for I knew it would not be possible to 
get a room with the same light as that in which I had 
begun the picture. When she found I did not care to 
paint in Peking, she suggested that I go to the United 
States Legation and spend the time of the Court's so- 
journ at the Sea Palace. It had been more than two 
weeks since I had seen Mrs. Conger, or been in the 
Legation quarter, and I was delighted at Her Majesty's 
kind forethought in allowing me to spend these days 
at the Legation. She, however, suggested that, as I 
had not seen the Sea Palace, where the Court was to 
go, I might enjoy coming there for the day— and 
spending some of the time in seeing the Palace and 
grounds. She knew how I enjoyed seeing these 
beautiful Palaces, and this was another proof of 
her consideration. She said she would be much occu- 
pied with the ceremonies, but that she would map out 
a nice day for me, and would herself take me for a 
walk ! She added, " This will give you a chance to 
study me, so your time will not be entirely spent in 
vain." She said we would resume the portrait on the 
Court's return to the Summer Palace. 

After our return to her Throne-room, and when we 
had finished dinner, she told me I had better go into 
the room where the portrait and my materials were 
kept, when I was not working on it, and said I had 
better overlook its being put away myself. She fol- 
lowed me into the room, and herself aided and directed 
the arrangement of things. She ordered the ^'sacred 
picture " (for this is what the Chinese call a likeness 
of a reigning Emperor or Empress) to be attached to 
the wall with yellow cords and covered with a trans- 

89 



With the Empress Dowager 

parent yellow silk, box-like screen, which had been 
especially made to protect it from dust. The portrait 
was treated, from its very beginning, as an almost 
sacred object, with the respect a reverent officiant ac- 
cords the Holy Vessels of the Church. Even my paint- 
ing materials seemed to be invested with a sort of 
semi-sacred quality. When Her Majesty felt fatigued, 
and indicated that the sittings were finished, my 
brushes and palette were taken by the eunuch from 
my hands, the portrait removed from the easel and 
reverently consigned to the room that had been set 
aside for it. 

The next morning early, I preceded the Court into 
Peking and went directly to the United States Lega- 
tion, where I was warmly welcomed by my kind 
friends, Mr. and Mrs. Conger. The United States 
Legation occupied, at this time, a Chinese temple 
near the ^' Water Gate." This building had been 
given to the United States Government by the Chi- 
nese after the Boxer rebellion, and was occupied 
temporarily by the Minister of the United States 
during the construction of the new Legation on 
Legation Street. The temple had been transformed 
into a comfortable American dwelling-place— its 
Chinese individuality having been preserved wher- 
ever possible, consistent with comfort. The shaded 
court, filled with beautiful, growing flowers (many of 
them gifts from the Empress Dowager to Mrs. Con- 
ger), was a charming spot. While distinctly American 
as to its artistic comfort and furniture, the interior 
construction and decoration of the drawing-room 
were purely Chinese, which gave a touch of Oriental 

90 



Peking — The Sea Palace 

^^ couleur locale " to this pleasant haven of American 
hospitality, where Mr. and Mrs. Conger dispensed 
their kindly favors. 

Mrs. Conger, by her own individual initiative, has 
done much to bring about a friendly social feeling 
between the Chinese and foreign ladies. It was she 
who first thought of entertaining the Princesses and 
Ladies of the Court in her own home ; and the United 
States Legation was the first of the Legations in 
Peking to issue an invitation to the Ladies of the 
Court, or to entertain them. It is the first Legation 
to entertain other Chinese ladies, wives of officials 
or of the gentry. Several other Legations have 
since entertained the Ladies of the Court, but in 
doing so they were only following Mrs. Conger's ini- 
tiative. While doing so much to bring about friendly 
social relations with the Chinese, Mr. and Mrs. Con- 
ger receive all Americans, regardless of their impor- 
tance or social position, with a kind cordiality. I was 
delighted to be in their charming family circle once 
more. I found my room at the Legation, with its 
sweet touches of homeliness, a delightful haven, and 
my visits to the Legation seemed always like going 
home. 

The next morning at seven, a green official chair 
with its bearers came to take me to the Sea Palace. I 
was first carried to the Hsien-Liang-Hsu, the '^ Temple 
of the loyal and virtuous," where Li-Hung-Chang for- 
merly had his home in Peking, and a part of which 
the Yu-Kengs had arranged for their home after their 
return from their mission at Paris, their own semi- 
foreign house having been destroyed by the Boxers. 

91 



With the Empress Dowager 

At the Hsien-Liang-Hsu I was joined by the Ladies 
Yu-Keng, and we continued on to the Sea Palace. 
Our chaii's, with their bearers, were preceded and fol- 
lowed by mounted attendants. 

The Sea Palace is a comparatively new Palace, 
most of it having been built within the last fifty 
years. Our chairs were met at the northern entrance 
by the same eunuchs who had been set aside for our 
service at the Summer Palace. They led us to the 
boats in waiting to carry us across the lake, to the 
buildings occupied by Her Majesty and the Coui-t. 
These boats were of the houseboat variety, with an 
inclosed cabin forming the center, and a platform 
running all around, on which the rowers walked up 
and down propelling it. The interior was carpeted, 
with a cushioned lounge, tea-tables, and chairs. The 
eunuchs and attendants sat outside on the prow. It 
takes twenty minutes to row across the lake in one of 
these boats, but the movement is delightful. When 
we reached the otlier side, we landed and went through 
several courts to that of one of Her Majesty's private 
chapels. She, herself, had just been making an offering 
here, and was coming out, preceded by acolytes swing- 
ing incense-burners, the musicians playing the '^ Im- 
perial Hymn." When she saw us, Her Majesty caUed 
us to her side, asked if I had had a good trip into 
Peking, and how Mrs. Conger was. She then ordered 
the eunuchs to show us our apartments. We were 
led through corridors and courts to a charming pa- 
vilion which was to be our resting-place while at the 
Sea Palace. It had exquisitely and elaborately carved 
woodwork arches with heavy satin curtains, which 

92 



Peking — The Sea Palace 

divided it into five rooms. After we had rested a few 
moments here, we returned to the Throne-room. Her 
Majesty told me she had arranged for me to go out 
in one of the boats, and that I was to be shown all 
that I cared to see, or at least as much as I could see 
in that day. A eunuch standing near her held a 
number of strips of embroidery in his hand. They 
were embroidered head-dresses, which are placed upon 
the heads of the Buddhas during the great ceremo- 
nies in the Palace temples. She explained their use 
to me and then dismissed us, and we went out to the 
landing-place on the lake. 

A number of boats lay at the foot of the steps— 
among them a charming open barge with blue silken 
awnings. As I had not been in a boat of this kind 
before, and as I was told to choose, I selected it for our 
row; and we started off, followed by several other 
boats carrying eunuchs and refreshments, with the 
necessary utensils for serving them. Our head eunuch, 
one of the six highest in the Palace, who had been 
appointed to look after me and the '' sacred picture," 
was very intelligent, an enlightened lover of Chinese 
art, and a great collector of old Chinese paintings 
and curios. He had been, in his youth, one of Her 
Majesty's favorite players, was said to have great 
dramatic talent, and, when he was younger, had a 
fine voice for singing. Mem_ory is among the most 
esteemed of the intellectual faculties by the Chinese, 
and reaches a high state of cultivation with them. 
Many of the eunuchs can repeat whole pages from 
the classics, and some are accomplished literati. This 
eunuch had a good speaking voice, and recited poems 

93 



With the Empress Dowager 

and told stories in a charming way. As we were 
rowed along, he stood at the prow and recited verse 
after verse of classic lore and told stories of the he- 
roic times. He intoned them like a recitative— the 
rhythm so perfectly observed, the intoning so musical, 
it was a pleasure to listen to him, though I could not 
understand. 

I lay back among the cushions, as we ghded softly 
along, past beautiful pavilions, with splendid trees 
overhanging the lake and lovely flowers growing wher- 
ever there was a place to plant them. The tall figure 
of the splendidly attired eunuch, standing in the prow, 
repeating, with rh^i^hmic cadence, poems and stories, 
gave one the illusion and charm of the " Arabian 
Nights," which I had fed upon in my childhood, and 
which I seemed to be living through to-day. 

We soon came to a tiny islet in the lake, with a 
sort of open temple built over a black marble tablet 
which bore an incised inscription. I asked to land 
and examine it, and San-Gunia, the eldest of Lady 
Yu-Keng's daughters, a remarkably clever girl and 
well posted in Chinese literature, translated the char- 
acters. The inscription was a poem, a tribute to the 
Great Father who had graciously placed there this 
island, which " by night was bathed in the glory of the 
Moon and Sun-kissed by day, while the crystal waters 
of the lake formed a brilliant necklace on its breast." 

Beyond the island I saw a temple. There was no 
landing-place, and the temple was under repair. The 
head eunuch, however, seeing how much I wished to 
go up, had the boat draw near and steps brought, up 
which we clambered, as best we could. 

94 



Peking — The Sea Palace 

This was one of the temples so ruthlessly destroyed 
and unnecessarily^ desecrated by the Allies during their 
occupation of Peking. We passed through the vege- 
table garden of the monks— all shorn of its glory, but 
where a few vegetables and flowers still grew— and we 
went on through a beautiful grove of arbor- vitas, with 
centuries-old trees, planted in the form of a cross, and 
came into the court of the temple. Even in its 
dilapidated state, with the workmen still in it, it was 
beautiful, and before it was so injured it must have 
been a splendid example of Chinese temple architec- 
ture. The cells of the lama monks were now unoc- 
cupied, and there were no of&ciating priests. Work- 
men were repairing and regilding the Great Buddha, 
and most of the efiSgies of the saints and images of 
the personified attributes were standing in dejected 
rows in the corridors awaiting the completion of their 
niches and chapels. The interior, of splendid pro- 
portions, glowed in beautiful somber colors. The 
carved-wood ceilings were in pendative designs, re- 
calHng those I had seen in the Alhambra; but the 
painting, in primary colors, of this elaborately carved 
ceiling gave it a greater richness of coloring and lent 
to the interior a warmer, deeper harmony than the 
white Moorish designs. The chapels behind the 
high altar were separated from the main temple 
and from each other by beautifully carved wooden 
screens, with rich brocaded silk of brilliant green (the 
color of Buddha), stretched behind the open work and 
showing through the interstices of the carving. These 
chapels are for the Sacred writings and for the vest- 
ments of the priests, and are also used for robing- 

95 



With the Empress Dowager 

and retiring-rooms for the officiants. They cor- 
respond to the sacristies of the Catholic Churches in 
Europe. 

The space behind the altar was of apse-like form, 
and opened upon a semi-circular marble terrace, thirty 
feet high, with a balustrade of the conventionalized 
lotus design so dear to the Chinese architects. From 
this terrace we had a beautiful view of the Coal 
Hill, surmounted by the curious Dagoba, so well 
known in all views of the Imperial City, as well as 
of the belvedere that marks the spot where the last 
Emperor of the Mings committed suicide when he 
was conquered. At the two extremities of the ter- 
race were charming octagonal summer-houses, where 
the priests could go for rest and contemplation, and, 
while murmuring their prayers, could feast their eyes 
upon a charming view. After a few moments on 
the terrace, enjoying the beautiful view, we passed 
through the cells of the monks, which were large and 
comfortable, and, finally, out again into the sun- 
flecked shade of the marble-paved court, where we 
sat under low-hanging boughs of a splendid elm, 
and the eunuchs brought out tables and served us 
with tea and refreshments. 

Then we took the boats and were rowed on further, 
till we came beneath a steep battlemented wall, sur- 
mounted by the rich green of arbor- vitaB trees. I was 
surprised to learn that this was another temple, for it 
looked more like an old feudal castle than a peaceful 
temple to the mild Buddha. We landed at the foot 
of the beautiful white Marble Bridge that spans the 
narrow northern portion of the lake, just under the 

96 , 



Peking — The Sea Palace 

stone wall on which the temple was built. We were 
carried up the steep, winding incline in our chairs. It 
was a most picturesque approach, and when we reached 
the top, with the beautiful temple lying peacefully on 
these martial heights; we found it well worth the climb. 
There was a grove of arbor- vitaB trees leading to 
this temple. These trees seem to be sacred to the 
temples and burial-places in China, for all I ever 
visited in China were either built in a grove of arbor- 
vitsB, or had some of these evergreens growing near. 
Did the Greeks get their idea and name of the 
ever-living tree from the Chinese, who regard the 
arbor- vitee as the tree of life and emblem of Immor- 
tality? This temple has a great Buddha of white 
jade, with jeweled stole and cuffs. Its expression of 
placid contemplation and kindly thought is typically 
Chinese. When Buddhism was first brought into 
China from India, the Buddhas had an Indian type ; 
and not until the religion had taken firm hold of the 
people, was its divinity clothed in a Chinese person- 
ality, and a national individuality assumed. The day 
of our visit, the great jade Buddha was decked in a 
mantle of Imperial yellow satin, with a richly em- 
broidered Manchu hood, such as I had seen that morn- 
ing in Her Majesty's Throne-room, on its head. Tall, 
lighted candles, fresh offerings of fruit and flowers, 
and the smoking censer standing on the altar, showed 
there had been services that morning, and added to 
the reUgious atmosphere of the interior. The service 
had been a continuation of the commemorative cele- 
brations in honor of the Emperor's Birthday and his 
sacrifice to his Ancestors. 

, 97 



With the Empress Dowager 

The principal court of this temple is one of the most 
picturesque in the Sea Palace, shaded by magnificent 
cedars and stately elms. In the center, there was a 
magnificent cistern of verd-antique, splendidly carved 
in dragons. Over this cistern was a marble portico, 
its columns supporting a curious concave, copper 
roof. This roof had been a Palace ^' cooking utensil," 
that had been used in former times to prepare food 
for the poor ; hence its extraordinary size. When it 
was worn out in this capacity it was used as the in- 
terior of the dome over the temple well, where the 
poor and weary could come to rest under its shadow 
and drink of the water of the well it protected. There 
were cells and outhouses for the monks in this 
temple also. But as we sat in the shady court, 
looking across the sunlit lake, the sky became sud- 
denly overcast, and we took our chairs and hurried 
down the steep, paved road that led from the 
temple to the lake. We did not take the boats 
again on reaching the lake, but were carried, in 
our chairs, across the beautiful Marble Bridge. Just 
beyond us, we saw the towers of the first Catholic 
Cathedral ever built in Peking. It was built on land 
given to the Catholics by the Emperor; but, when 
finished, its towers were found to overlook the Palace 
grounds; so the Cathedral was bought by the Em- 
peror, and land was given the Mission further on, and 
another Cathedral was built. The first Cathedral is 
now within the Walls of the Sea Palace, and is visi- 
ble from every part of the grounds of the two Peking 
Palaces. It seems a strange anomaly to see this 
Christian Church within the Precincts of the Palace of 

98 



Peking— The Sea Palace 

an Oriental potentate, who is one of the representa- 
tives on earth of the " Great Buddha." 

It began to rain, and the chair-bearers ran along to 
the Palace without stopping again, and we were soon 
called to dinner in the Throne-room, overlooking the 
small Theater, for there are two Theaters in the Sea 
Palace, one for winter use and one for summer. The 
latter is built on piles over the waters of a canal. 
Building the stage over water is supposed to give a 
peculiar musical resonance to the voices of the actors, 
softening the sounds and making them more pleasant 
to the ear. 

After dinner in the beautiful summer Throne-room, 
with the rippling waters just beneath the windows, 
we made our adieus, first to Her Majesty and then to 
the young Empress and Ladies, and went out to be 
again rowed over the beautiful lake to the outside 
gates. The sun was setting ! The arches of the 
Marble Bridge had become a beautiful, deep violet 
hue, and spanned the waters of the lake, now a gleam- 
ing mass of liquid gold. The sky beyond shone 
through the masses of foliage with a golden glow, and 
the towers of the old Cathedral were strongly silhou- 
etted against this brilliant background. The scene 
was an ideal one. A beautiful silence pervaded every- 
thing, made the more rhythmic and intense by the 
regular movement of the oars in the water. When 
we reached the other side of the lake we were con- 
ducted to our green chairs, which were waiting with- 
out the gate, and were swiftly carried back to the 
Legation. 



99 



CHAPTER XI 

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF HER MAJESTY — SECOND 
VISIT TO THE SEA PALACE 

I SPENT the next day at the Legation, and thor- 
oughly enjoyed it, but I was glad to think that I 
was to spend the following day at the Palace again. 
The study of Her Majesty had now become to me like 
a thrilling novel. I could not bear to lay it down j 
and when I was forced to do so, I was longing to be 
able to resume it. She was such a delightful surprise 
to me. I had heard and read so much of her, before 
I went to the Palace, and nothing that I had heard or 
read had at all prepared me for the reality, so charm- 
ing, so unusual was her personality. Not charming 
and interesting by fits and starts, but always so ! 
She was so considerate and tactful, and seemed so 
really kind in her relations with those who sur- 
rounded her. I had been now nearly a month in 
daily contact with her. I saw her, not only when she 
sat for the portrait ; I was with her the greater part 
of the day, and I began to let myself go in my admira- 
tion of her. The days seemed flat and stale when I 
could not see her— so full of interest and charm I 
found her. She was a woman of such infinite variety ! 
There was always something new and fresh to study 

lOO 



Some Characteristics of Her Majesty 

in lier. She was the very embodiment of the Eternal 
Feminine. She was at once a child and a woman 
with strong, virile qualities. She would go into the 
Audience Hall, transact weighty affairs of State for 
three hours, and then go for her walks or excursions, 
and take a childish interest in the simplest pleasures. 
She would be seated in one of her Throne-rooms in 
trivial conversation with her Ladies, when an Official 
Despatch, in its yellow silk case, would be brought in, 
and presented by the eunuch on bended knees. Her 
face would immediately become full of serious in- 
terest} she would bend her brows and become the 
statesman ; a few moments later, when she had duly 
considered, and given orders relative to the despatch, 
she became again the woman, full of interest in her 
flowers, dresses, and jewels. 

A distinguished Frenchman once said of Her Maj- 
esty the Empress Dowager, " C'est le seul homme de 
la Chine," and she deserves the appellation of ^' man," 
if it goes to mean superior intelligence and executive 
ability ; but it was not the '^ statesman " that I had 
the best opportunity of studying. It was the woman 
in her private life ; and I had unusual advantages for 
this study, and the more I saw of her, the more re- 
markable I found her ! Her favors to the Ladies of 
the Court were very impartially distributed. She 
had her favorites, but she did not allow them to gain 
any supremacy over her, nor to warp her judgment. 
Although her " entourage " never expressed an opinion 
contrary to hers, in her presence, and though she 
always accepted their expressed views in the most 
courteous manner, one could see she was not imposed 

I O I 



With the Empress Dowager 

upon, and that she knew, perfectly well, their real 
opinions, so great was her natural penetration. 

I was astonished to find in what veneration the 
Empress Dowager was really held by the Ladies of the 
Court and her " entourage." Her favorite title, and 
that by which she has been longest known to the 
courtiers, is, ''Lao-Fo-yeh," the ^'Old Buddha," 
which shows that they invest her with sacred quali- 
ties. After her return from Hsi-An Fu, where the 
Court went when the allied troops occupied Peking, 
and where the sacred Persons of Her Majesty and 
the Emperor suffered so many hardships and endured 
them so bravely, the courtiers gave her another, a 
closer and more affectionate appellation, ''Lao-Tzu- 
Tzung" (The Old Ancestress). This was the title by 
which she was called in the Palace, by the Emperor, 
Empress, and Princesses, and by which she allowed me 
to address her. 

On our arrival at the Sea Palace, the day of my 
second visit there, after making our bows to Her 
Majesty, we started, in our chairs, to the Hall of the 
Mongolian Princes. This is a magnificent hall in the 
northeastern part of the park, some distance away 
from Her Majesty's and the Emperor's Palaces. It is 
of one story, as usual, but this nearly forty feet high. 
The interior is spacious, with only a few dragon tables 
and chairs and no ornaments or other furniture. 
There is a raised dais at the back, with several steps 
leading up to it. Upon the dais stood a splendid 
Throne of archaic design, and over the Throne there 
are two huge tablets of black marble, with inscrip- 
tions in Chinese and Manchu characters. This 

I02 



Second Visit to the Sea Palace 

great hall is used only for receiving the Mongolian 
Princes on their annual visit to Peking, when they 
come in state, with hundreds of followers and retain- 
ers, to pay homage and tribute to the Emperor of 
China, The rear of the hall opens on a court sur- 
rounded by smaller buildings, which are used as 
waiting-rooms for the retainers and followers of the 
Princes. 

From this hall we were carried in our chairs along 
the banks of the lake, beyond the Marble Bridge to a 
distant part of the grounds, where stands the famous 
Dragon WalL Most of the Chinese houses have a 
sort of stone screen opposite the principal gate of 
entrance. This screen, called ^^A Wall of Respect," 
often has some sort of painted or carved representa- 
tion of a dragon, which is supposed to chase away 
evil spirits. This superstition does not seem to obtain 
as regards the residences of the Son of Heaven, for I 
never saw a dragon wall built in front of any of the 
entrances to the buildings in the Palace inclosures. 
Perhaps the Son of Heaven is immune from the visit 
of demons, or is it that the rampant Double Dragon 
on everything Imperial serves as sufficient protection 
to the Palace ? The Dragon Wall, in the Sea Palace, 
must have formed a part of some of the outside pal- 
aces or temples which were brought into the sacred 
inclosure when the Emperor Hsien-Feng decided to 
make it a place of residence and enlarge its domain. 
Many foreigners in Peking can remember when the 
beautiful Marble Bridge, of such noble proportions, 
of such exquisite design, now within the Precincts, 
was used by the public. However it got there, the 

103 



With the Empress Dowager 

Dragon Wall is at present within the Palace inclo- 
sure, though in an unused part of the grounds— not 
in front of any ^^ residence/' and hence not filling its 
mission as a " Wall of Respect," to keep the wicked 
spirits from crossing the threshold. This Dragon 
Wall of beautiful white marble is of great beauty, 
exquisitely carved in its minutest details, and fine 
in general conception and line. 

Her Majesty had returned from the Audience when 
we got back to the Palace from our morning prom- 
enade. She was now attending to household affairs. 
The eunuchs were bringing up, for her inspection, 
the baskets of splendid fruits, which are daily sent 
into the Palace. Among others, there was a basket 
of magnificent grapes. She was delighted with their 
beauty, and held up one splendid bunch against the 
light, before she tasted them, remarking that " the 
beautiful color lent an added zest to the delicious 
fruit." Her Majesty then lunched, while we joined 
the Empress and Princesses on the verandah, after 
which we lunched again in this beautiful Throne- 
room. The meals taken with the young Empress and 
Ladies of the Court had now come to be gay reunions. 
Her Majesty would ask us every day to lunch or dine 
at her table, and I rarely took a meal in my own quar- 
ters. I had discarded the knife and fork and was 
learning to use the chop-sticks. I thought them such 
graceful implements when wielded by the beautiful 
hands of the Chinese Ladies, that I determined to 
learn their use. Though I never became an adept 
with them, I found these dainty implements perfectly 
adapted for eating the Chinese food. Thc}^ are used 

104 



Second Visit to the Sea Palace 

both in the same hand like twin fairy wands, and 
seemed to me much more delicate and graceful than 
a knife and fork. My efforts at using them, and my 
desire to try all the new dishes, amused and pleased 
the Ladies. Each would give me special tidbits from 
her favorite dishes ; they tried to teach me the Chi- 
nese names of the viands. My efforts at pronouncing 
these names, or my giving them to the wrong dishes, 
sometimes raised peals of laughter from the whole 
table. Her Majesty often heard the merriment, and 
would ask us, when we went into her private apart- 
ments after the meal, what had been the cause ; and 
sometimes she would say, " What has ' Kergunia ' ^ 
said?" 

We had scarcely finished luncheon, on this my second 
day at the Sea Palace, before the chairs were ordered 
for a promenade. It had begun to rain, and the air 
was chilly; but Her Majesty had made up her mind 
to have a walk at that hour, and nothing ever inter- 
fered with her plans, in so far as she was able to carry 
them out. No weather, however disagreeable or se- 
vere, ever kept her from an outdoor promenade that 
she had planned. The open chairs were brought, as 
if the day were fine. Her Majesty and the Empress 
took their seats in their yellow chairs. Their attend- 
ant eunuchs unfurled the huge yellow umbrellas, used 
only for Their Imperial Majesties and the young Em- 
press; the second Empress took her orange-colored 
chair ; the Princesses and the rest of us seated our- 
selves in our red chairs, and our eunuchs raised the 
red umbrellas over us. Her Majesty the Empress 
^nd Princesses, clothed in the brilliant colors daily 

105 



With the Empress Dowager 

worn, the eunuchs still wearing their richly embroi- 
dered gala costumes, the chair-bearers still clad in 
the festive red, the yellow and red chairs with the 
big yellow, orange, and red umbrellas made a quaint 
procession, bright with color, that started off through 
the courts into the gardens. 

Her Majesty loves every phase of nature and every 
kind of weather ; but it seemed to me as if she particu- 
larly loved rain. She once said it lent such a poetic 
charm to the landscape, bathing it in a soft mystery 
and washing away all defects. Peking is a dry place, 
and rain is a rarity, which probably accounts for 
this predilection. Her Majesty was in great good 
humor, but her partiality for rain was not shared by the 
other Ladies of the Palace, and these rainy promenades 
were never indulged in by them with any great show 
of delight. Her Majesty likes moving swiftly, and the 
chair-bearers always run when she leads the proces- 
sion. We sped along for about fifteen minutes, when 
the chairs suddenly stopped. I looked to see for what 
reason, as we were in the open, with no shelter any- 
where near, and the rain still falling. I was surprised 
to see Her Majesty was already out of her chair and 
walking off toward a '^gourd-arbor" at the side of 
the paved walk. 

The gourd is much esteemed by the Chinese. It is 
emblematic of Fruitfulness and Prosperity, and is a 
special favorite of Her Majesty's. Those cultivated 
at the Palace, and known all over China as the " Im- 
perial Gourd," have long been famous j but have 
reached a greater state of perfection than ever before, 
under the special care and training given them during 

io6 



Second Visit to the Sea Palace 

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's reign. They are 
of one shape only, with a contracted neck and two 
equal parts above and below; but they are of all 
sizes, from one to twelve inches, the one-inch size be- 
ing as perfect as the larger ones. They are grown on 
trellises, about seven feet high, and the vines are very 
carefully trained, so that each of the much-prized 
fruit may attain its best development and have its 
proper quota of light and sun. 

Her Majesty walked through the mud to the arbor. 
The white kid six-inch-high soles of her shoes sank 
deep into the soft, rain-soaked soil. The eunuchs 
made vain attempts to protect her from the rain, but 
she went imperturbably on and was soon under the 
gourd-arbor. Here she leisurely tried several of the 
gourds, to see if they were properly ripe ; for they 
must be pulled at a certain time or they do not dry 
well. After looking at and trying a number, she had 
several gathered and went back to her chair. The 
young Empress and the other Ladies had, of course, 
got out of the chairs when Her Majesty stopped. 
Luckily, she did not ask us to go into the arbor with 
her J but etiquette obliged us to stand on the marble 
walk, which though not muddy and not so disagree- 
able as the walk to the gourd-arbor, was, however, 
running with water. When Her Majesty took her 
chair again, we resumed ours, with a sigh of relief ; 
for, though we were unprotected even in the chairs, 
we felt the truth of the Oriental saying, ^^ It is better 
to be sitting than standing," etc. 

After another quarter of an hour, the chair-bearers 
stopped again. We had come to another gourd- 

107 



With the Empress Dowager 

arbor ! Her Majesty got out of her chair and exam- 
ined the gourds in this arbor with the same deliber- 
ation and interest as she had looked at those where 
we first stopped. The rain was now falling in tor- 
rents, but Her Majesty's spirits seemed to go up in 
proportion to its coming down. The Ladies were 
again obliged to get out of their chairs ! They stood 
in two dejected lines, with the eunuchs holding, as 
best they might, the red umbrellas over each, and they 
vainly tried to keep up an appearance of interest and 
enjoyment. The brave finery of the eunuchs, who 
may not carry umbrellas when on service, was now 
hanging in limp folds about them, and their fine 
feathers were much bedraggled. The Chinese Ladies 
had their two-inch-high, kid-covered cork-soles to pro- 
tect their feet from the water ; but mine, in thin kid 
slippers, were soaking. The picture of the dejected 
Ladies, the rain-soaked eunuchs, was, however, so 
amusing, that I quite forgot my own discomfort and 
thoroughly enjoyed the situation. After another 
twenty minutes' run, with the rain still falling, Her 
Majesty gave the word and the procession turned 
toward the Hall of the Mongolian Princes. The 
great doors were thrown open, and we were, at last, 
under shelter. 

A yellow chair was placed for Her Majesty in front 
of the dais, and she had some of the gourds she had 
gathered brought to her. She selected one for her- 
self, gave one to her principal Lady-in-waiting, Sih- 
Gerga, and handed one to the Chief Eunuch Li— the 
Princess and the Chief Eunuch both being proficient 
in the art of scraping them. A sharpened piece of 

io8 



Second Visit to the Sea Palace 

bamboo was brought to Her Majesty and slie began 
to work on tlie gourd she had taken, scraping off the 
outer skin. She told me to stand near and watch 
her scrape it, as it was a very dif&cult thing to do 
well ! She certainly did it well, and it was most in- 
teresting to watch her beautiful little hands, as they 
gracefully moved the piece of bamboo back and forth, 
quickly removing the outer skin, in the most approved 
way. Though apparently thoroughly interested in 
scraping her gourd, she asked me how I had enjoyed 
my promenade of the day before, and what I thought 
of the Sea Palace. She called my attention to the 
inscriptions on the tablets behind the Throne, saying 
they were in Manchu and Chinese characters, point- 
ing out their difference of form and also speaking of 
the differences in the two languages. She said she 
thought Manchu would be easier for a foreigner to 
learn than Chinese, as Manchu has an alphabet and 
is constructed more on the lines of a European 
language. Presently Her Majesty turned to speak 
to some one else, and I immediately withdrew, as is 
the custom at the Palace. We went out and joined 
the Empress and Princesses, who had already retired 
from the Throne-room and were having tea and 
cigarettes reclining on the couches in one of the 
rooms in the rear. After an hour's rest in the Mon- 
golian Hall, the rain having ceased, we continued our 
promenade through the grounds much more pleas- 
antly than we had begun it, and Her Majesty took 
me for a walk in the Gardens of the Sea Palace, as 
she had promised. 
After dinner, we were rowed over the lake to the Gates. 

log 



With the Empress Dowager 

Just beyond them a company of archers was practis- 
ing with their bows and arrows ; for archery is still 
in vogue in China, and fine marksmanship among the 
archers is rewarded by substantial advancement in 
the army. Archery is also practised as a sport by 
the young Manchu nobles. It is said to educate the 
eye and materially develop the chest and arms. The 
Chinese pay great attention to position in archery. 
They stand stiffly erect, the chest thrown well for- 
ward, the head held high, the bow and arrow at 
rigidly prescribed angles ; and if this position be not 
observed, however true the flight of the arrow, it goes 
for naught. From the shelter of my chair, I watched 
the company's practice until I heard the '^ Sunset 
call " resounding through the Palace grounds j echoed 
and reechoed until it reached the outer gates, which 
began to move upon their huge hinges until they 
clanged together for the night. 

1 My Chinese name. 



I lO 



CHAPTER XII 

RETURN TO THE SUMMER PALACE 

THE next day the Court returned to the Summer 
Palace. The festivities and sacrifices in connec- 
tion with the Emperor's Birthday being now over and 
the Court settled down to its usual routine, I hoped 
I might be allowed to go regularly to work on the por- 
trait, and that Her Majesty would allow me to paint 
when she was not posing. There was much I could do 
between times, and she .could pose but for a short time 
each day. Up to that time, Her Majesty had treated 
me as a guest at Court, whose amusement was the most 
important thing to be looked after. She seemed 
much interested in the work, but my painting was an 
incident and even the ^'Sacred Picture " a secondary 
consideration. All these walks, these delightful excur- 
sions, were perfectly charming, and, had I gone to the 
Palace to enjoy myself, or to study Her Majesty and 
Chinese manners and customs, I would have been per- 
fectly satisfied. I had, in the Empress Dowager, a 
psychological study full of ever-varying and constant 
interest. I was living through a unique experience, 
seeing what I (^ould never hope to see again, but I 
was not allowed to paint on the portrait as much as 
I should have liked. Could I but have had permis- 

I 1 I 



With the Empress Dowager 

sion to work more, I should have been very happy. 
Had I been able to speak Chinese well enough, I 
felt I would obtain what I desired ; she had shown 
herself so uniformly kind. She probably felt I was 
enjoying myself more in this way than working at 
my painting. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed the promenades with 
Her Majesty, I loved the daily sittings. Every por- 
trait-painter knows the sort of intimacy that estab- 
lishes itself between him and his sitter, however 
unsympathetic the latter may be at first sight, which 
was certainly not the case in this instance. The effort 
of the painter to get under the exterior and discover 
the real person of his sitter ; the desire to see the 
best side and make the most of it, meets generally 
with a sympathetic response. If the ''rapport'' is 
properly established, they get to know each other 
better by the time the portrait is finished than they 
could otherwise have done, perhaps in years. Though 
I saw Her Majesty so intimately at other times, I felt 
I was not seeing her " face to face '' (figuratively 
speaking), except at the sittings. 

The morning after our return to the Summer 
Palace, my easel was again placed in the Throne- 
room. The portrait was taken down from its resting- 
place and work resumed. Her Majesty gave me a long 
sitting, and the portrait made a step ahead. If I had 
only had a place to work alone, where I might study 
the picture, when she was not posing, I could have 
made so many improvements ! But I was obliged 
to possess my soul in patience, and work along for the 
short space of an hour or so a day and stop the mo- 

112 



Return to the Summer Palace 

ment Her Majesty felt fatigued, when my brushes 
and palette were whisked away, as if by magic. There 
was no chance to study the portrait or to do anything, 
except when the Empress Dowager and the crowd of 
attendants were present. 

I had taken to the Palace only a small folding 
easel, which was not at all suitable for regular work 
on so large a portrait, but it was impossible to get a 
better one in Peking. Her Majesty, who observed 
everything, noticed that it was not convenient, and 
suggested that I draw a design for a large easel and 
give it to the Palace carpenters to copy. She thought 
they would be able to make me one. I did so, and 
they made me a very satisfactory working easel. 
When the eunuchs found that this Palace easel suited 
me, five others of different sizes were made. I asked 
for what reason, and was told that everything for Her 
Majesty was made in sixes. It would have been 
establishing a precedent, making an innovation, to 
have fewer than six easels for her portrait. 

Her Majesty also ordered some large flat boxes, 
with lock and key, to be made for my materials. 
These boxes were covered in yellow, for they were to 
be used for the Sacred Picture, and must be in the 
Imperial color. I forgot to say the six easels had all 
been stained a bright yellow ! A table, surmounted 
by one of these yellow boxes, occupied a prominent 
place in the Throne-room during the whole time this 
portrait was being painted. When I finished painting 
each day, the Chief Eunuch, himself, removed the pic- 
ture from the easel, and a number of others came and 
took my brushes and palette, put away the easel and 

113 



With the Empress Dowager 

closed the yellow box and locked it. Our head eunuch 
carried the key to the box. 

When the afternoon sitting was finished, we went 
out for another of those delightful promenades around 
the grounds. The days were now growing visibly 
shorter, and the evenings were beginning to be cool. 
As we went through the gardens, Her Majesty stopped 
at all her favorite points and looked for a few mo- 
ments at the view, as if to greet it again, after her ab- 
sence. She loved the Summer Palace and it always 
seemed a pleasure to her to return to it. We had tea in 
one of the tea-houses where there were tables and seats. 
She ordered the eunuchs to make a sort of blanc- 
mange of lotus-root flour, which was delicious, and, 
as she said, most wholesome. When the Empress 
Dowager goes for a walk, portable stoves and all the 
paraphernalia necessary for cooking a light repast are 
taken along. It seemed wonderful to me to see the 
way the Chinese could cook, with apparently so few 
conveniences. After this we had tea. The finest tea 
in China is sent to the Palace. The first leaves of the 
plantations all over the Great Empire are reserved 
for Their Majesties. Her Majesty, who is a great epi- 
cure, has her choice of these chosen leaves. She adds 
to the delicacy of its already fine flavor by putting into 
her tea-cup the blooms of dried honeysuckle, the 
flowers of jasmine, or other fragrant blooms. The 
honey from these flowers slightly sweetens the tea, be- 
sides giving it a delicate, subtle flavor, quite unique. 
These dried blooms are brought in a jade bowl, with 
two long cherry sticks, with which Her Majesty takes 
the flowers and places them in her cup, stirring them 

114 



Return to the Summer Palace 

into the tea with these graceful wands. The Chinese 
never use a teaspoon. Her Majesty drinks her tea 
from a jade cup, which is placed in a curiously fash- 
ioned, cunningly wrought, open-work, silver saucer. 
The Chinese take their tea boiling hot, and the jade 
does not get so hot as a porcelain cup. 

We continued our walk through the gardens after 
leaving the tea-house, and when we were passing a 
bed of flowers Her Majesty spied some curious grass, 
which she ordered the eunuchs to gather. When 
it was brought to her she deftly wove several blades 
of it into a perfectly recognizable representation of a 
rabbit. She did it so quickly I did not realize she was 
trying to make anything until she tossed the finished 
result over to me and asked me what I thought it was. 
It was unmistakable. 

When we reached our objective pointy one of the high- 
est eminences in the grounds, with the whole panorama 
of the Western Hills spread out beneath us, and the set- 
ting sun glowing over all in brilliant splendor, it was 
a glorious scene. She called me up to her side and 
made a graceful, sweeping gesture of the hand that 
said, " This is all mine, but you may share it with me." 
She had that sense of possession of nature's beauties 
which all artistic souls feel, for their appreciation makes 
what they view their own. She felt it was hers, because 
she loved it so, and she knew I would appreciate it, which 
few of her " entourage " did, as none of them were such 
passionate lovers of nature as the Empress Dowager, 
and custom had dulled their perception of the beauty 
of the scene. The exquisite pleasure the contempla- 
tion of this glorious view gave me, made me tremble 

115 



With the Empress Dowager 

with delight. As the day was fading and as I was thinly 
clad, Her Majesty thought I was cold, and, seeing I had 
no wrap, she called to the Chief Eunuch to bring me 
one of hers. He selected one from the number that 
were always brought along for these promenades, and 
gave it to Her Majesty, who threw it over my shoulders. 
She asked me to keep it and to try to remember to take 
better care of myself in the future. 



ii6 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE STEAM-lAUNCH— SEMI-ANNUAL SACRIFICES TO 
CONFUCIUS 

WE began now to go out on the lake in the 
steam-launches, instead of the picturesque 
Imperial barge. The Empress Dowager is artistic 
and conservative enough to like the old-fashioned 
barge; but she is also intelligent enough to appre- 
ciate the advantages of other modes of locomotion, 
and has no prejudices j in fact, she rather likes trying 
new things. When the days were long, the air soft, 
and the bosom of the lake engirdled with its chain of 
blooming lotus, she preferred the barge ; but when 
the shorter and cooler days came, when the lotus were 
no longer in bloom, she ordered the steam-launch for 
our promenades. She seemed now to like its swift 
and noisy progress as much as she had before en- 
joyed the softly gliding motion of the barge. Her 
Throne on the launch was on the prow, just outside 
and above the cabin, where the Princesses and Ladies 
sat. Her Majesty always wanted the fresh air and the 
view, and never went inside. The young Empress 
and the Ladies sat within the luxuriously fitted-up 
cabin with its lounges and tables. 
The first day we went out in the launch the en- 

117 



With the Empress Dowager 

gineer seemed not to have it quite under control, and 
we soon ran aground in a field of water-plants near 
the island. There was great consternation among the 
eunuchs when it was found the launch could not ad- 
vance, even by putting on full steam. The engineer 
didn't seem to know what to do. Her Majesty ordered 
the engines reversed, and this was tried, but it was 
some time before the launch moved. The Princesses 
and eunuchs became quite excited, but Her Majesty 
was perfectly unconcerned, and laughed at their 
fears for her safety. She said it would be no great 
matter for her to walk over to the island. It 
would only mean one pair of shoes the less ! When 
the launch finally moved, the Chief Eunuch, not 
wishing to run the risk of another mishap, wanted 
to give word to the engineer to return ; but Her 
Majesty would not hear of this, and insisted upon 
completing the excursion as she had at first planned 
it. We had several other mishaps, and the launch 
finally ran aground; and no effort of the engineers, 
no putting on of extra steam, was able to get us off 
again. Her Majesty kept her good humor, ordered 
her barge brought alongside, and we were all ''trans- 
shipped." We finished our tour on the lake as she 
had planned it, but in the barge instead of the launch. 
She is too intelligent not to use any means at hand 
to attain her ends, and she is intelligent enough to 
see that these ends can be attained, by some means or 
other, before she fixes upon them. 

The Emperor of China, with the usual Chinese 
tolerance,— and the Chinese are the most tolerant 
people in the world as to religious faith,— is not only 

ii8 



The Steam-Launch 

the head of one church, but of all the churches in 
China. He is, as Emperor, the Great High Priest of 
Heaven, the High Priest of Buddhism and Taoism, 
and is, of course, a Confucian ; though this is a philos- 
ophy rather than a religion. But though a philosophy, 
there are certain rites and ceremonies observed by 
the Confucians. All the great ceremonies of the dif- 
ferent cults are celebrated in the Palace temples with 
rigid impartiality and equal pomp. Whatever may 
be the individual leanings of the Emperor, and, of 
course, he must have his own preferences, he partici- 
pates in each of these celebrations. But his official, 
public exercise of religion, is limited to the worship 
of Heaven and Earth, to which he makes annual 
public sacrifices in the Great Temple of Heaven at 
Peking. 

The afternoon of our first steam-launch excursion, 
finished in Her Majesty's barge, there was a splendid 
ceremony in the chapel at the foot of the hill crowned 
with the Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas, to the 
memory of Confucius, the great Sage, whose philosophy 
has directed the lives and laws of the Chinese people 
for nearly twenty-five hundred years. Though a 
philosopher like Plato, he is appreciated and his teach- 
ings followed by the masses, as well as the classes, in 
China. He is not a religious leader but au ethical 
teacher, and though many temples have been erected 
to his memory, they are like Halls of Science and not 
temples to a divinity. There are no images either of 
Confucius or the Sages in these temples. They are 
classic halls, bare of all church-like ornamentation. 
Quotations from the "analects," painted on scrolls, 

119 



With the Empress Dowager 

cut into wood, and carved out of stone, adorn the 
walls, not only of the interiors of the temples, but of 
the courts and verandahs of the buildings. At the 
place where the altar would be in a temple, there is a 
plain niche, painted in red with a tablet bearing an 
inscription in gold, ^' The Seat of the Perfect One." 
On either side are similar niches, containing the tab- 
lets of four other great Sages, among whom was 
Mencius. These semi-annual sacrifices are in com- 
memoration of Confucius as an ethical teacher, a wise 
philosopher, a Sage. At this service in the Palace, the 
participants and celebrants were all in full Court dress. 
There was an address to the memory of the great 
Sage, with music and hymns ; the latter were rhyth- 
mic verses, containing some truth inculcated by the 
Sage. There was an altar with a dragon table in 
front for offerings. There were sacrifices, incense, 
and music. The altar was rich with splendid vases, 
rare old bronze bowls, and incense-burners, and sweet 
with flowers and fruit. On the dragon table, which 
stood in front, were offerings of millet, meat, and 
wine. Tall cressets of open iron-work containing 
huge, burning pine-knots were placed in front of the 
raised platform, on which stood the altar, which was 
beautifully illuminated with tall candles in square, 
silver candelabra. The court in front of this temple, 
as well as the surrounding buildings, were hung with 
charming painted lanterns. 

Their Majesties, with the Empress and Ladies, pre- 
ceded and surrounded by eunuchs and ofiicials, in full 
Court dress, went in ceremonious procession through 
the verandahed corridors, from Her Majesty's Throne- 

I 20 



Semi-Annual Sacrifices to Confucius 

room to the temple. Their approach was accompanied 
by the slow beating of drums. When they reached 
the temple, three yellow cushions were placed on the 
paved floor for Their Majesties and the Empress, and 
red cushions for the Ladies. The music was played 
in rhythmic strains, while Their Majesties knelt and 
prostrated themselves three times ; the Empress and 
Ladies doing likewise. The officials and other 
participants knelt outside in the court. When the 
prostrations were finished, a yellow chair was brought 
for the Empress Dowager. She sat during the rest 
of the service, but the Emperor, the Empress, and 
Ladies remained standing during the whole celebra- 
tion. This consisted of a number of genuflexions and 
prostrations by the celebrants, and a moving about of 
the offerings on the dragon table in a ceremonious 
and reverent manner. The chief officiant read the 
address from a long scroll. After finishing it, he 
placed it on a casket on the altar. The first part of 
the ceremony took place inside the temple, then the 
celebrants went out into the court and intoned the 
six hymns and made renewed prostrations. I was not 
able to understand enough of the hymns, or to get 
them sufficiently translated to make out their mean- 
ing. They were all of uniform length. They were in 
praise of Confucius and were called " Odes to Peace." 
When all the verses were intoned, the scroll with the 
address, some of each of the offerings, were placed in 
the huge iron incense-burner, that stood in the center 
of the outer court, and set on fire by the chief cele- 
brant, while one of the several flagons of wine that had 
made part of the offerings was poured over the blaze. 

12 1 



With the Empress Dowager 

I had not expected to enter the temple with Their 
Majesties and the Ladies, but when we reached the 
door, the Empress drew me in with her. They seemed 
to realize that I enjoyed seeing these celebrations and 
to perfectly understand my not taking any active 
part in them. I always remained standing, but I 
listened reverently to the intoning of the hymns and 
the reading of the address. I conducted myself as I 
would at any religious ceremony, and they seemed to 
appreciate it. 

When all was finished, Her Majesty told me to go 
up to the altar and examine the rare, old, bronze or- 
naments, the candelabra, etc. They explained to me 
that the address, which had been read, was burned, as 
it had filled its mission when it was read 5 that the 
ashes of a literary essay were a most fitting offering 
to the memory of Confucius, the great philosopher. 
When all was over. Their Majesties ordered the boats 
to come to the foot of the terrace, where the last part 
of the celebration had been made, and we returned to 
the Palace by way of the lake. 



I 22 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE PALACE EUNUCHS 

THE internal affairs of the Palace are managed by 
eunuchs, among whom there are all grades, all 
sorts and conditions. Some are clever literati given 
to study ; some have the polished, insinuating man- 
ners of the courtier J some have a Mandarin rank 
of high degree; some are menials. There are 
actors and singers, cooks and gardeners, teachers 
and pupils, writers and readers. They occupy all 
sorts of positions, from Their Majesties' body-guard 
to gate-keepers. In this hierarchy, Their Majesties' 
Chief Eunuchs held the first place. Under each 
of these there are six eunuchs of high rank, all 
exceptionally clever, who have raised themselves to 
the positions they occupy in the Palace by their 
own efforts or by some special qualification. 

Each of the hundreds of pavilions and palaces in 
the Inclosures has a corps of eunuchs, presided over 
by a head eunuch. These act as guards to the prem- 
ises, as well as servants, and keep things in readiness 
for a visit from Their Majesties. There is a head 
eunuch who directs the large corps of Palace garden- 
ers ; another who presides over the dozens of cooks 
in the Imperial kitchen ; one is at the head of each of 

123 



With the Empress Dowager 

the departments, and each of these head eunuchs, 
chiefs of the different departments, is under the 
jurisdiction of the Chief Eunuch, for Her Majesty's 
Chief Eunuch may be called the real Chief Eunuch 
of the Palace. He is not only older than the Em- 
peror's Chief Eunuch, but is more capable. The two 
Chief Eunuchs, from their position near the sacred 
persons of Their Majesties, have unusual power. 
They may make or mar the career of the eunuchs 
beneath them; and they not only have this power 
inside the Palace, but from their exceptionally fine 
opportunities to present petitions, to speak for or 
against certain people, they also have a great deal of 
power with people outside the Palace. Her Majesty's 
Chief Eunuch has almost the power in Peking, among 
officials and courtiers, that ''Son Eminence Grise" 
had at the Court of Louis XHI of France. He is 
courted and fawned upon, receives magnificent 
presents, and nobles of high degree wait upon his 
pleasure; but while he occupies this high position 
with outsiders, in the Palace I saw no evidence of his 
having any unusual power with Her Majesty, beyond 
that of one who has been in the life-long service of 
his master and who has the privileges resulting there- 
from. 

The peculiar position of a Chinese Emperor, which 
shuts him in his Palace like a Buddha in a temple, 
makes some sort of confidential private messenger an 
absolute necessity. There is much business of an 
unofficial kind, which must be transacted in a private 
way. The Chief Eunuchs are naturally called upon in 
such cases. When the Ruler of the Celestial Empire 

124 



The Palace Eunuchs 

is a woman, the Palace becomes more of a gilded 
prison, a shut-in shrine, than even in the case of an 
Emperor. She cannot see officials, or even members 
of the Imperial clan, except in the Audience Halls. 
Thus a Chief Eunuch under an Empress would have 
even greater power than under an Emperor ; and in 
this instance, Her Majesty's Chief Eunuch, Li Lien 
Ying, is really of exceptional ability ! 

In person he is tall and thin. His head is, in type, 
like Savonarola's. He has a Roman nose, a massive 
lean jaw, a protruding lower lip, and very shrewd eyes, 
full of intelligence, that shine out of sunken orbits. 
His face is much wrinkled and his skin like old 
parchment. Though only sixty years old, he looks 
seventy-five, and is the oldest eunuch in the Palace. 
He has been there since the age of ten. He has ele- 
gant, insinuating manners, speaks excellent Chinese— 
having a fine enunciation, a good choice of words, 
and a low, pleasant voice. If one may judge from 
appearances, he possesses ability in a marked degree. 
Of His Majesty's Chief Eunuch I can say nothing. I 
only saw him on the days of the Theater, or some 
festival, when His Majesty passed the day with the 
Empress Dowager and the Ladies, when he was 
always accompanied by his suite. 

Her Majesty's second eunuch, Sui, who is of equal 
rank with Li Lien Ying, is as unlike him as two 
people could possibly be, both as to person, character, 
mental and moral nature. This one has none of the 
qualities of the intriguer— no Macchiavellian schemes 
would be forwarded by him. He is almost a giant in 
size, tall and heavy. He is forty-six years old, and 

125 



With the Empress Dowager 

has a round, full face, without a line— a typical 
Chinese face, as we know it from pictures, benevolent 
and kind. He, also, is a good Chinese scholar, and, 
of course, speaks it elegantly. Her Majesty will have 
no one around her person who does not speak it well. 
If it be true that Her Majesty, in choosing her minis- 
ters, tries to have them the opposites of each other, so 
that she may thus hear the different sides of a ques- 
tion and arrive at more just conclusions, her two 
Chief Eunuchs seem to have been chosen in the same 
way. 

There is a eunuch appointed to administer the 
punishment, ordered by Their Majesties for the 
eunuchs around their persons. For the higher 
eunuchs, this is generally the deprivation of a cer- 
tain amount of their annual wages, or the loss of 
their buttons, for the buttons on the hats of Chinese 
denote their rank, and to be deprived of a button, or 
to have one of lower rank given, is considered a 
disgrace. I once saw Her Majesty very angry over 
the failure to carry out one of her orders, by two of the 
high eunuchs, and she ordered them to be deprived of 
two months' pay. The head eunuchs of the different 
departments administer whatever punishment they 
see fit, to those over whom they are placed. This pun- 
ishment is generally corporal. Sometimes they abuse 
their authority and are very cruel in administering 
this, but, as a rule, the eunuchs seem to be of a mild 
and peace-loving nature, rather than cruel and vin- 
dictive—inclined to condone the faults of their inferi- 
ors rather than punish them to the full extent of their 
authority. There seemed to be a feeling of "esprit 

I 26 



The Palace Eunuchs 

de corps" among them— a spirit of mutual helpful- 
ness. 

Each of the higher eunuchs has a number of pupils 
among the lower grades, who call him "Master,'' 
and whom he trains in manners and teaches his own 
specialties. The higher eunuchs seemed to take the 
liveliest interest in the good conduct, and literary, or 
other, advancement of these pupils, and they push 
their interests with Their Majesties in every way 
possible— each one, of course, trying to advance his 
pupils beyond those of some other eunuch. 

Her Majesty has a great horror of opium smoking. 
If a eunuch, however high his position, indulged in it, 
the severest punishments she ever ordered were ad- 
ministered. They were not only deprived of so many 
months' pay and loss of their buttons, but were some- 
times banished from the Palace for a certain length 
of time, and even severe corporal punishment would 
be ordered. These stringent measures did not pre- 
vent some of them, however, from indulging surrep- 
titiously in the narcotic, but they took the most extreme 
precautions to prevent its being found out. Her 
Majesty has unusually acute olfactories, especially 
for opium. This, it seems, can be detected by its 
odor, which hangs around the clothes, and, like the 
odor of the rose, one " can break the vase, it lingers 
there still." But it seems the eunuchs have special 
linen clothes, which they put on for smoking, and 
these are given to be washed, immediately the fasci- 
nating pipe is finished. Unless one is an habitual 
smoker, the drug has very little outward effect and, 
except by the odor, it cannot be detected. 

I 27 



With the Empress Dowager 

The eunuclis are very fond of all sorts of pets, and 
have in their quarters dogs without number, cats and 
birds. While the younger eunuchs generally depend 
for their advancement upon their teachers, who report 
favorably on them to Their Majesties, they sometimes 
attract the attention of Their Majesties, and may be 
raised out of their places by Imperial favor. Among 
the eunuchs assigned to my service in the Palace, was 
one who was fortunate enough to attract the Em- 
peror's notice. His Majesty had happened to notice 
him, carrying my wraps on one of the promenades 
with Her Majesty. He liked his face and manners 
and took him into his own service. The eunuch had 
a "button" bestowed on him and promised to mount 
very fast in grade. This eunuch had been in the 
Palace about fifteen years ; and had His Majesty not 
happened to notice him, he might have lived and 
died in oblivion, and never had a button, for his 
'* master " was dead and he had no protector to push 
his interests ! 

When one realizes that the Palaces of the Chinese 
Emperor are like towns, that their affairs are admin- 
istered principally by the eunuchs, one can see there 
must be a good deal of intelligence among them, as 
well as great opportunities to add to their personal 
wealth. 

I heard, before I went into the Palace, of the great 
power and unscrupulousness of the Chief Eunuchs; 
that it would be necessary to be very conciliatory 
toward them and make them many handsome pres- 
ents. I did not find it so. I never made an effort to 
conciliate any of them, nor gave any handsome pres- 

128 



The Palace Eunuchs 

ents, and I found them all respectful, and I had every 
consideration shown me by them, and found them, on 
the whole, pleasant enough to deal with. Some of 
them were clever and interesting even, and they all 
had very good manners. In fact, I cannot too highly 
praise the manners of the Chinese, as a race. I quite 
concur in the opinion of a clever Frenchman, who 
said of China, '' Aujourd'hui c'est la ou les bonnes 
manieres se sont refugiees." 



I2q 



CHAPTER XV 

THE LITERARY TASTES AND ACCOIVIPLISHMENTS OF THE 
EMPRESS DOWAGER 

WHEN Her Majesty the Empress Dowager was 
Empress of the Western Palace, Co-Regent 
with the Empress of the Eastern Palace, who died in 
1881, the Empress of the Eastern Palace was known 
as the "Literary Empress." All State affairs were 
left to the stronger executive ability of the Empress 
of the Western Palace ; while she of the Eastern Pal- 
ace gave herself up to literary pursuits and led the life 
of a student. She was a woman of such fine literary 
ability that slie, herself, sometimes examined the es- 
says of the aspirants for the highest literary honors in 
the University of Peking. She was also a writer of 
distinction. 

During the long Co-Regency of these two remarka- 
ble women, widows of the Emperor Hsien-Feng, one 
led the life of a student ; the other, the active, militant 
life of the ruler. For the present Empress Dowager 
has been the real ruler of the great Chinese Empire 
for the last forty-five years. Had the Empress of the 
Eastern Palace not been such an exceptional light as a 
literary woman and had not Her Majesty, Tze Hsi, 
possessed so many other and more remarkable quali- 

130 



The Literary Tastes of the Empre 



ss 



ties, the latter's name might also go down to history 
as a "literary Empress/' for the Empress Dowager 
has literary qualities of no mean kind. She writes a 
graceful poem, is able to express herself in elegant 
Chinese, as well as in the ruder, more forcible Man- 
chu language. She can wT-ite in literary style, fine 
idiomatic Chinese, and this is a rare accomplishment 
for a woman. The written Chinese language is quite dif- 
ferent from that spoken by even the most cultivated. 
Imagery and figure abound to such a degree, literary 
form is so important, that many fine scholars are un- 
able to write the language acceptably, except for prac- 
tical purposes. Aside from Her Majesty's literary 
acquirements, she has an enlightened taste, is a great 
reader of the classics, and a fine critic. She also loves 
poems of heroic adventure. One of her favorite his- 
torical characters is the Chinese Jeanne d'Arc, the 
warlike Maiden, Whar-Mou-Lahn, who went forth to 
battle in masculine guise, had many heroic adven- 
tures in her twelve years' service, and, through them 
all, remained a virgin pure. 

The Empress Dowager has a wonderful verbal mem- 
ory. Memory, so highly esteemed by the Chinese, is 
most carefully cultivated, and is generally better 
developed with them than with us. Her Majesty's 
memory is, however, considered exceptional, even 
among the Chinese. She can repeat pages, not only 
of the classics, but of her favorite authors. One of 
the widows of her son (the Emperor Tung-Chih), who 
came regularly every week to pay her respects to Her 
Majesty, is a very clever woman and a great favorite 
of her august mother-in-law. This lady also possesses 

131 



With the Empress Dowager 

a remarkable memory. On her visits to the Palace 
I used to hear Her Majesty and this Empress quoting 
from some of their favorite classics or poems. The 
quotations would pass from one to another, sometimes 
for a half -hour without stopping, and, at times, they 
would repeat in concert some favorite phrase. I will 
never forget how they looked : Her Majesty sitting at 
her Throne table with her flowers or some light occu- 
pation, her daughter-in-law standing beside her, each 
of their faces lighted up with pleasure as they re- 
peated line after line. 

When the Empress Dowager went to her own apart- 
ments for her '^ siesta," her reader would come bring- 
ing volumes of her favorite authors. Some days I 
could hear his voice rising and falling in regular ca- 
dence during the whole time she was resting in her 
apartments. When she was particularly interested in 
what had been read to her she would have the book 
taken out when she went for her daily promenade and 
would sit and read as she was carried along in her open 
chair, or was rowed along on the barge. This did not 
often happen, however, for she took such keen delight 
in all its manifestations, she preferred to read in Na- 
ture's book when out of doors. 

She is a great lover of the theater and prefers the 
classic, the old plays, to the modern Chinese drama. 
She had one new play staged, while I was in the Pal- 
ace, with which she seemed to be much pleased. She 
studied the play for several days before it was given 
for the first time, and, at the first representation, she 
followed every line with intense interest. She sent 
her eunuchs several times to the stage to suggest 

132 



The Literary Tastes of the Empress 

changes in the rendering of certain parts and in the 
interpretation of certain lines. The Theater generally 
begins with a short play, which is often a light farce. 
She seemed sometimes to enjoy these very much and 
would laugh heartily at the good hits, which were 
often original additions by the actors, allusions to 
some passing event. Contrary to my preconceived 
idea as to the Chinese, they are witty and appreciate 
humor in others. The Empress Dowager has a fine 
sense of humor. She not only sees the point of a joke, 
but she can turn one very cleverly herself. 

She is very particular about the way Chinese is 
spoken, a great stickler for purity of expression and 
elegance of style. There are as many dialects in 
China as there are Provinces in the Great Empire ; 
and although the literati and gentry speak, what is 
called Mandarin Chinese, some of the most highly 
educated of the literati from the Provinces speak it 
with an accent. Her Majesty, who has a musical ear 
and great discernment as to sounds, gets very impa- 
tient when listening to Chinese spoken with an accent. 
It is said, other things being not quite equal, she will 
give the preference, in an appointment, to an official 
who speaks perfect Chinese and who has a good voice, 
especially if his office brings him often into the 
Presence. However, particular as she is, bad Chinese 
in a man of merit is not a bar to advancement, for 
Li-Hung-Chang, whom she appreciated so highly, and 
to whom she gave such preferment, is said to have 
spoken very indifferent Chinese. 

Whether it be, that Her Majesty's musical and ex- 
quisitely modulated voice, so fresh and silvery, so 

133 



With the Empress Dowager 

youthful, adds to the charm of her Chinese, when she 
speaks it, it sounds like beautiful rhythmic poetry. 
She speaks it so graphically, with such expression and 
graceful gestures, that it charms one even who does 
not understand the language. 

One day when she was out for a walk, one of the 
directors of the gardeners was brought up to explain 
something to her, some change in the laying out of 
new flower beds. She listened a few moments, but I 
saw her frown and begin to look impatient. After a 
few more words from the poor man, who was evi- 
dently overcome by timidity and probably speaking 
worse Chinese than usual. Her Majesty turned to the 
Chief Eunuch and said, ^^ Let him tell you and you 
can translate to me ; I can't stand any more of that 
language," and she walked away, still frowning. 

Another day, I heard the Empress Dowager tell one 
of the Ladies at Court (her daughter-in-law), who was 
also a great purist in the matter of language, about 
her own Chinese having been misunderstood by one 
of the eunuchs. There are many Chinese words al- 
most exactly alike in sound, which are only differ- 
entiated by the inflection or tone. Thus there must be 
great accuracy of enunciation, and there must also be 
great accuracy of ear. Her Majesty had given an 
order to one of the eunuchs. The stupid fellow had 
misunderstood the inflection and had done the exact 
opposite. She was so amused and astonished, when 
she found that her tone had been misunderstood, that 
she did not reprove him for his stupidity. 

One day, she corrected one of the Princesses for the 
pronunciation of a word, and she said (in an aside) 

13+ 



Literary Tastes of the Empress 

it was not strange this Princess did not speak better, 
for her father's Chinese was '^ execrable," thus show- 
ing that even Princes do not always speak the lan- 
guage correctly. 

One of the most precious gifts the Empress Dowager 
makes, and which is sacredly treasured by its recipi- 
ents, is a scroll with a single great character written 
upon it by Her Majesty's own hand. This is consid- 
ered one of the most difficult feats of a Chinese writer. 
These characters are sometimes four feet long. One 
day we were invited to go into the Throne-room to see 
Her Majesty make some of these characters. When I 
went into the Great Hall, Her Majesty and the Ladies 
were already there. She was stirring a great bowl of 
India ink, for she is very particular as to its consist- 
ency and fluidity. When the ink suited her, she took 
from a eunuch standing near, who held a number, a 
huge short-handled brush, which she could hardly clasp 
in her small hand. She tried two or three, before she 
found one that pleased her, and, turning to me, said^ 
'^ You see I also have my choice in brushes." I asked 
Lady Yu-Keng to tell her that I thought her large 
brushes were more suitable for my hands and that 
my smaller ones would have been more appropriate 
for her. She laughingly repHed she preferred the 
Chinese brush, and that her hands, small as they 
were, were able to wield it very satisfactorily, which 
was no vain boast. 

When all was ready, and the huge scroll spread out 
before her on a table, she dipped her brush into the 
bowl of ink, held by the eunuch, and began the first 
stroke of one of these famous characters, in which 

135 



With the Empress Dowager 

she is said to equal the most proficient writers in 
China. I was amazed to see the firmness of her wrist 
and the beautiful clearness of her stroke, which devi- 
ated not a hair's breadth from the line she wished to 
foUow. She made six great characters on six of the 
scrolls. These characters meant ^^ Peace/' ^' Pros- 
perity," ''Longevity," etc. When she had finished 
these, she said she feared her hand had no longer the 
firmness necessary for doing another. 

While she was writing, the young Empress, the Prin- 
cesses, and the eunuchs stood around, watching her 
with intense interest. They seemed to take great 
pride in her firmness of touch and her accuracy of 
line. 

The Chinese written character must be made in a 
certain way. It must begin at a given part. The 
strokes must foUow a given direction. The trans- 
versal strokes must be placed with mathematical 
precision. Nothing is left to the caprice or individuality 
of the writer. Any one, knowing the Chinese written 
characters, can tell you whether these complicated 
hieroglyphs were begun at the proper place or made 
in the proper way. They may look perfectly correct 
to the uninitiated observer who has a most accurate 
eye, and still not be so considered by the connoisseur. 

The firmness of Her Majesty's touch is also very 
apparent in her painting, for she is very artistic, and 
paints flowers in a charming way ; in fact, she is 
remarkably clever with her fingers. She does not 
embroider now, as she formerly did, nor does she 
paint so much, for she says her eyes are not so good 
as they were, though she does not and has never 



136 




THE EMPRESS DOWACJl K W RUING A "GREAT CHARACTER 



Her Accomplishments 

worn glasses. There are a great number of artificial 
flowers made in the Palace, as no Manchu lady's 
coiffure is considered complete without flowers. Her 
Majesty is very particular about the way these flow- 
ers are made, and when they were brought to her for 
inspection, with a deft touch she would give a de- 
fective flower the required form. 

She often makes new designs for the flowers, hav- 
ing them woven into quaint figures, or having a 
number of small blooms made into a representation 
of some large flower. She sometimes had her diadem 
made of the snowy blooms of the fragrant jasmine, 
set with leaves and other small flowers, representing 
jewels, and she would wear this instead of her real 
jewels. 

She is a great believer in one of the rules that Con- 
fucius lays down for the attainment of ^'Illustrious 
Virtue" ; she '^ cultivates her person." She is always 
immaculately neat. She designs her own dresses, 
and has her jewels set according to her own direc- 
tions. She is very artistic in the arrangement of 
her flowers and jewels, and sees that they harmonize 
with her toilet. She has excellent taste in the choice 
of colors, and I never saw her with an unbecoming 
color on, except the Imperial yellow. This was not 
becoming, but she was obliged to wear it on all official 
occasions. She used to modify it, as much as possible, 
by the trimmings, and would sometimes have it so 
heavily embroidered that the original color was hardly 
visible. 

She is a great epicure, and often designs new and 
dainty dishes. She has perfumes and soaps for her 

137 



With the Empress Dowager 

own use, made in the Palace. Although there are 
quantities of French and German soaps and perfumes 
bought for the Palace, she prefers an almond paste 
that she has made and often uses the soap made in the 
Palace. The maids would make these under her su- 
pervision. I have frequently seen them bring the 
mortar in which they were stirring it to Her Majesty, 
that she might see its progress, and she would ener- 
getically stir it herself. She is also a great lover 
of perfumes, and herself combines the oils of different 
flowers so as to produce most subtle and delightful 
perfumes. The Chinese say " colors, odors, and per- 
fumes are good for the soul." The Empress Dowager's 
soul was certainly well cared for in this respect. 

The Chinese are so near to nature, so simple in 
every way, that their influence over animals and birds 
is extraordinary, and seems to us almost magical. 
They are very fond of all animals, and especially so 
of birds. They train and teach these latter in won- 
derful ways. I have often seen a Chinese go near a 
singing bird's cage and tell it to sing, and it would 
pour forth its little heart in melody. Birds never 
seem to have any fear of them. In the afternoons, in 
early spring, or on a fine day in winter, one may see 
hundreds of well-dressed and dignified men each 
carrying a covered bird cage, taking the birds out 
for the air. "When they arrive at some open space 
in the city, or beautiful spot in the environs, they un- 
cover the cages and hold them aloft, or simply sit 
with them on their knees, and the bird will sing as if 
its little throat would burst. They have absolutely 
no fear, and, though caged, seem to have a perfect 

138 



Her Accomplishments 

understanding with their owners and obey their 
voices. They are often let out of the cages when 
taken out for exercise, but they will return to them 
at the call of their owners ; and these birds are not 
hatched in cages— they are taken from the forests and 
trained. 

Two of the religious precepts of the Chinese— ^'Hurt 
no living thing," " Protect all living things"— are car- 
ried so far, they will allow an animal to live in misery 
rather than put him out of it by a speedy death. 
They love all animals and fear none. They say if you 
do not attack an animal, however dangerous he is, he 
will not harm you. 

The Empress Dowager seemed also to possess this 
almost magical power over animals. Her dogs never 
paid the slightest attention but to her voice, and would 
obey her slightest gesture; but, fond as she was of 
them, she rarely caressed them ; and she was so par- 
ticular about her hands that, when she did stroke or 
fondle one of her pets, she would immediately after 
have a cloth wrung out of hot water brought to wipe 
her fingers. I never saw a dog in her arms but once, 
and this was a puppy which she took a fancy to when 
visiting her kennels one day, and she brought him 
back to the Throne-room in her arms and played with 
him for some time. 

On one of our promenades in the park I saw a 
curious instance of her wonderful personal magnet- 
ism and her power over animals. A bird had escaped 
from its cage, and some eunuchs were making efforts 
to catch it, when Her Majesty and suite came into 
that part of the grounds. The eunuchs had found it 

139 



With the Empress Dowager 

impossible to entice the bird back into its cage ; nor 
would it come upon a long stick with a perch attached, 
which they held up near the tree where it rested. The 
eunuchs scattered at the approach of Her Majesty, 
and she inquired the cause of their being here. The 
Chief Eunuch explained what they were doing, and 
the Empress Dowager said, ''I will call it down." I 
thought this was a vain boast, and in my heart I pitied 
her. She was so accustomed to have the whole world 
bow to her, she fancied even a bird in the grounds 
would obey her mandates, and I watched to see how 
she would take her defeat. She had a long, wand-like 
stick, which had been cut from a sapling and freshly 
stripped of its bark. She loved the faint forest odor of 
these freshly cut sticks, and in the spring often had 
one when she went out. They were long and slender, 
with a crook at the top. I used to think she looked 
like the pictures of fairies when she walked with 
these long, white wands. She would use them for 
pointing out a flower she wished the eunuchs to 
gather, or for tracing designs on the gravel when she 
sat down. To-day she held the wand she carried aloft 
and made a low, bird-like sound with her lips, never 
taking her eyes off the bird. She had the most musi- 
cal of voices, and its flute-like sound seemed like a 
magical magnet to the bird. He fluttered and began 
to descend from bough to bough until he lighted upon 
the crook of her wand, when she gently moved her 
other hand up nearer and nearer, until it finally rested 
on her finger ! 

I had been watching with breathless attention, and 
so tense and absorbed had I become that the sudden 

140 




THK K.Ml'RKb^ i>t)\\A(;i.R IX IHK (,ARi)KX> (Jt IHK bL.M.Ml.K 
PALACE — CALLING A BIRD 



A 



Her Accomplishments 

cessation, when the bird finally came upon her finger, 
caused me a throb of almost pain. No one else, how- 
ever, of her entourage seemed to think this anything 
extraordinary. After a few moments she handed the 
bird to one of the eunuchs, and we continued on our 
promenade. 

I saw another iastance of her magnetic power, this 
time with a katydid. One of the Princesses, seeing 
one on a bush, tried to catch it, but in vain. Her 
Majesty held out her hand toward the beautiful in- 
sect, made a peculiar sound like their own cry, and 
advanced her outstretched finger until it rested upon 
it. She stroked it gently for a few moments, and 
then removed her fingers, and the katydid made no 
effort to fly until she put it down ! 



141 



CHAPTER XVI 

THE GREAT AUDIENCE HALL— SOME OFFICLLL 
CUSTOMS 

WHEN His Majesty the Emperor reigned alone, 
he was in the habit of holding his Audiences 
as early as three o'clock a.m. It is said, however, that 
this custom was owing as much to his personal shy- 
ness as to his love of early rising, for at these Audi- 
ences he would allow but two candles on the Throne- 
table in front of him, and the Great Hall was lighted 
elsewhere only by the beautiful Chinese lanterns, which 
shine with but a dim brilliancy and are not very effec- 
tive as lights. Thus his face could not be seen if an 
official should so forget the Proprieties as to raise his 
eyes to the Imperial Person. 

Their Majesties' Audiences are held in the Great 
Audience Hall, a detached building apart and quite 
distinct from all the other buildings of the Palace 
inclosure. The inscription over its great doors points 
out that it is the '' Hall where Industry is to be applied 
to State Affairs." In all the Palaces the Audience HaU 
is nearest the outside walls and entrances, so that the 
officials who are privileged to have Audiences must 
only pass through the outer courts to reach the haU— 
Their Majesties' Palaces with their private apartments 

142 



The Great Audience Hall 

being at some distance beyond. At the Winter Palace, 
where there are so many walls within walls, each of 
Their Majesties' Palaces is surrounded with walls, 
and the Audience Hall is also in a walled-in inclosure 
near one of the Great Gates, but at the Summer Palace 
there are no walls except the exterior ones ! 

The interior of the Audience Hall, at the Summer 
Palace, is not by any means bare or austere. It is fur- 
nished in the same style as the Throne-rooms, with 
splendid ornaments, curios, tea-tables and chairs, and, 
curious anachronism, there are here three pianos ! The 
walls are hung with ornamental scrolls, as well as with 
those bearing some gigantic character traced by an 
Emperor's hand or some condensed bit of philosophy 
of the Sages. One of these scrolls has an admonition 
to the Emperor to remember that ''he is responsible 
to Heaven for the happiness and prosperity of his 
people." 

There is a great dais in the center of the hall, on 
which stands the Throne, with its table, behind which 
is the three-, five-, or seven-leaved screen. The ancient 
dais was lower than those now used, and the antique 
Throne, with its capacious size and cushions, was more 
like a lounge than the modern Throne. This seems 
to indicate that the administration of justice by the 
Emperor was in ancient times less formal and more 
patriarchal than to-day. In former times the Emperor 
could lounge upon his Throne at his ease when see- 
ing his Ministers, and they could approach nearer the 
Sacred Person, as the dais was not so large nor so high 
as that in use to-day. 

Heads of departments and Princes with honorary 

143 



With the Empress Dowager 

official positions have Audiences on certain days of the 
month, to report upon affairs of their Boards or to pay 
their respects to His Majesty. Every day Their Maj- 
esties hold Audience and see the Prime Minister and 
Grand Secretary, and there are frequent meetings of 
the Grand Council. The Prime Minister, Prince Ching, 
has the last Audience of the day, and business reported 
on during the other Audiences is then discussed. 

All telegrams and despatches go to their respective 
Boards, and are, except in cases of extreme gravity, 
only reported to Their Majesties at the Audiences. 
After eleven all State business is supposed to be fin- 
ished by Their Majesties. They are then free from 
State worries and cares until the following day. 
During the times of the rebellion in the Province of 
Kwang-Si, when the Russian evacuation of Manchuria 
was expected, and at the time of outbreak of hostili- 
ties in Manchuria (the three grave events occurring 
during my stay in the Palace), telegrams and despatches 
were constantly being sent to Her Majesty out of Au- 
dience hours. They were brought to her Throne-room, 
and sometimes even during her walks in the gardens 
they would be handed her. These despatches were 
sent over to the Palace from the Wai-Wu-Pu on their 
arrival. Of course, it was by Her Majesty's express 
command that her privacy was thus infringed upon. 
No official would otherwise have dared transgress the 
prescribed rules. The despatches were received at the 
entrance of the Palace by the eunuch whose province 
it was. He placed them in the yellow-covered, silken- 
lined box, in which they were presented to Her Majesty 
on bended knees. 

144 



Some Official Customs 

In front of the Throne dais, during the hours of 
Audience, there are five cushions placed on the floor 
for the members of the Grand Council to kneel upon 
when they are memorializing Their Majesties. The 
Prime Minister's cushion is nearest the Throne. A 
cushion to kneel upon is a privilege only granted 
members of the Grand Council. Any other official, when 
making communications to Their Majesties, must kneel 
upon the bare marble floor, and must kneel beyond 
the space occupied by these five cushions. He is thus 
placed at a disadvantage. The distance at which he is 
from Their Majesties may prevent his hearing some of 
their words^ especially the Emperor's, whose voice is 
very low and without any carrying quality. The offi- 
cial may overcome this difficulty and shorten the dis- 
tance by paying the eunuch who conducts him to the 
Audience Hall, to remove some of the cushions, so that 
he may kneel nearer the dais. The Prime Minister's 
and Grand Secretary's cushions may on no condition 
be removed, but the other three are subject to the will 
of the introducing eunuch. If this latter be sufficiently 
paid, and there is a fi^ed price for each cushion, he 
will remove the three of the lower members of the 
Cabinet. 

When the official who has been granted an Au- 
dience is conducted to the Audience Hall by the 
eunuch appointed for the purpose, the latter throws 
open the great doors, falls upon his knees at the 
threshold, and announces the name and position of 
the official, gives the hour and minute of his arrival 
at the Palace, and, before he rises, he has deftly re- 
moved the cushions for which he has received the 

145 



With the Empress Dowager 

required sum. After his name has been announced, 
the official enters and kneels as near the dais as is 
consistent with his rank and the sum paid the eunuch. 
When the eunuch has introduced the official, he turns 
from the door and must run away as fast as he can. 
Officials and eunuchs stationed at some distance 
watch his departure. Should he linger or transgress 
this law, capital punishment is the result. This is to 
avoid eavesdropping and the possible transmission of 
State secrets. 

When the official granted an Audience hears the 
last echo of the steps of the departing eunuch, he falls 
upon his knees and begins the relation of his business. 
Their Majesties question him, if necessary, to elicit 
further explanations. When the Audience is finished, 
the official rises and walks out. The Chinese never 
back out of the Presence, and it is not considered a 
breach of etiquette to turn their backs upon Royalty ! 

The officials who are obliged to go often to Audi- 
ences resort to an amusing subterfuge to protect their 
knees from the marble floor. They strap heavily 
wadded cushions around their knees before they go 
in, and they can thus kneel in comfort. The long 
Chinese gown worn by the men, of course, hides these 
knee cushions. 

His Majesty assumed the cares of State at an early 
age, when he was still filled with boyish spirit. Many 
of the heads of departments are old men, and some 
of them doubtless most tiresome in reiterating facts 
and dwelling upon details. When the young Emperor 
first took over the direction of affairs and held his 
Audiences alone, he would get very impatient at 

146 




THE OFFICIAL AUDIENCE OF THEIR MAjl>| || 



Some Official Customs 

hearing several of these old men go over tiresome 
details. As it is not ^^ according to the laws of pro- 
priety " for the official to raise his eyes to the Sacred 
Person, while the old man rambled on, with prosy 
detail, the young Emperor would slip off the Throne 
and quietly descend from the dais, and v/lien the poor 
official raised his eyes to make his obeisance to the 
Emperor, he would see only the vacant Throne ! His 
Majesty had been in the rear of the hall behind the 
screen for perhaps five minutes smoking a cigarette 
or otherwise diverting himself ! 

I noticed a curious fact as to the quality of the 
sacredness of the persons of Their Celestial Majesties. 
This sacredness seems to belong to them as rulers 
and not as individuals. In the Audience Hall when 
administering justice, they are not approached nor 
addressed, except upon bended knee. In the Palace, 
in their own privacy, when they give an order or any 
command touching upon official affairs, this order is 
received by the attendant, be he courtier, high official 
or great prince, on his knees. When any official 
communication is made to Their Majesties, in private 
or elsewhere, it is made kneeling, but when Their 
Majesties are in their private capacity and spoken to 
on ordinary affairs, they are addressed almost famil- 
iarly, and the courtier or simple attendant stands 
while speaking to them. If, however, in the midst of 
a familiar conversation an order is given, the atten- 
dant immediately drops upon his knees to receive it. 

The kow-tow (pronounced ker-toe and meaning 
literally to bow the head) is used as a form of thanks, 
and is not a manner of greeting. The actors kow- 

147 



With the Empress Dowager 

tow to Their Majesties at the beginning and end of 
each performance at the Theater, first to thank for 
the honor they are to receive in being allowed to act 
before them, and at the end to thank for the privilege 
granted. The officials ''bow the head" to thank for 
an Audience or any favor or gift they have received 
or are to receive from Their Majesties. The kow- 
tow is not only made by people at the Palace and at 
Imperial Audiences : it is sometimes used by equals to 
each other as a proper manner of thanking for some 
great favor. To make the kow-tow, the person kneels 
three times and each time bows his head three times, 
touching the ground with it. The kow-tow could not 
be made by a foreigner without looking most awkward 
and appearing most servile, but the Chinese do it with 
dignity, and it is neither ungraceful nor degrading- 
looking. It is a time-honored manner of giving 
thanks, a Chinese tradition surviving from a time 
when the courtiers were perhaps like slaves, but at 
present it does not imply any slave-like inferiority on 
the part of him who performs it. 



148 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE SUMMER PALACE AND ITS GROUNDS 

THE Summer Palace, the Empress Dowager's fa- 
vorite residence, is really a superb domain. Its 
naturally picturesque situation among tlie beautiful 
Western Hills, sixteen miles from Peking, bas been 
improved wherever possible, by the devices of art. 
The many buildings that constitute an Oriental Palace 
have been most picturesquely grouped on the banks 
of its great lake. The eminences and natural undu- 
lations have all been made the most of as sites for 
Palaces and temples, and the grounds are laid out 
with all the art the Chinese landscape artist has at 
his command. 

The buildings of the Palace proper, where Their 
Majesties and their suites live, are all massed in one 
great town-like group at the southeastern end of 
the lake. In this group are the Theater, with its 
courts, and the Great Audience Hall. Palaces, tem- 
ples, summer-houses, tea-booths, dot the whole surface 
of the great park, and all the vantage-points have been 
utilized for constructions. 

A beautiful white marble terrace runs the length 
of the southern side of the lake. Pavilions at inter- 
vals vary the monotony of this line or give accent to 

149 



With the Empress Dowager 

the natural indentations of the banks. Picturesque 
landing-places, with their marble steps lapped by the 
waters of the lake, also lend their variety to this ter- 
race surmounted by its beautiful lotus balustrade. 

The highest of the hills in the park of the Summer 
Palace is crowned by the Great Temple of the Ten 
Thousand Buddhas. This is approached by hundreds 
of steps, which lead up from the broadest part of the 
marble terrace over the lake. Beautiful Palaces are 
built along this terraced height. Picturesque pai-lou 
(memorial arches) are built at such beautiful points, 
that Nature herseK seems to have designed these posi- 
tions for them. 

A fair, verdure-clad island lies peacefully on the 
bosom of the lake, and the Palace and temple built 
thereon seem a part of the natural formation of stone 
out of which they rise. A graceful seventeen-arched 
bridge of white marble connects this island with the 
northern bank of the lake. 

The canal from Peking, which feeds the lake, winds 
in and out of the grounds in such graceful meander- 
ings as to seem some fair mountain stream. The out- 
lets to the lakes are spanned by the graceful camel- 
backed bridges that only the Chinese architects build. 
N-ature and art are everywhere so blended, so har- 
monized, it is difficult to tell which is which. The 
simple lines and beautiful proportions and harmoni- 
ous colors of the one-storied Chinese buildings make 
even these seem almost a part of the landscape. 
, Chinese architecture— and one grows to admire it 
very much when studied in its o'vvn environment— is 
tent-building, carried to its greatest perfection and 

150 



The Summer Palace and Its Grounds 

made enduring by the use of materials that last. The 
grouping of the Chinese buildings is on the same 
order as the congregation of tents of some roving 
tribe of Nomads. The downward curve and upturned 
tilt of their roofs is but the natural slope of the can- 
vas and its uplifting by the tent-poles. These slender 
tent-poles have developed into the supporting pillars 
of the verandah, and the raised canvas door of the 
tent has grown into its buoyantly curved roof. The 
ornamental eaves are but the solidified silken fringes 
and embroidered valances of the tents of old. The 
curious roof ornamentations of the modern Chinese 
house replace the weights that held the tent-canvas 
steady. These weights, from rough stones, have now 
become carven images, cunningly wrought. The Chi- 
nese even erect their houses as their ancestors raised 
their tents. The builder places the columns and puts 
on the roof before the walls are built. Except the pa- 
goda—and this even seems like so many superposed 
tents— the Chinese building remains to-day, in spite of 
its elaborate roofs, its lacquered pillars, and elaborate 
ornamentation, like some splendid tent, grown into 
greater fixity and beautified by some magician's wand. 
It is admirably suited to the calm pastoral landscapes 
in which it rests, and seems a part of Nature itself, and 
is never out of keeping with its surroundings ! 

Wherever available, in the grounds of the Summer 
Palace, flowers are planted, and they succeed each 
other almost the whole year round, for the Chinese 
are wonderful gardeners. The extensive grounds are, 
however, not given up entirely to flowers and beauti- 
ful constructions J there are great fields of grain. 

151 



With the Empress Dowager 

Wheat and millet, and even vegetables, are raised in 
these pleasure grounds. It was curious to me to see 
how picturesque so prosaic a thing as a field of tur- 
nips might become, when properly placed in a large 
pleasure domain. By the planting of these useful 
crops, a great deal of fertile land is utilized, without 
any detriment to the landscape, and the utilitarian 
spirit, so strong in the Chinese, is satisfied. 

There is one terraced hillside in the grounds of the 
Summer Palace, called the " Flowery Mountain." In 
the season of the peonies, which the Chinese call ^' The 
King of Flowers," this is really a flowery mountain— 
one mass of blooms of exquisitely blended colors and 
faint evanescent perfume. The China Aster is also 
brought to great perfection by the Chinese gardeners, 
and in the time of the chrysanthemum the grounds 
fairly blaze with this autumnal glory. The Chinese 
do not go in for the cultivation of the chrysanthe- 
mum of extraordinary size. Her Majesty does not 
care much for these ; but her gardeners arrive at some 
wonderful combinations of colors and some most cu- 
rious shapes. The year I was in the Palace, Her Maj- 
esty was delighted with a beautiful green variety, 
that the gardeners had succeeded in getting, and that 
year there was also a new variety whose petals were 
like threads, they were so thin and hair-like. 

The Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas is so 
called from its being built in glazed yellow tiles, each 
representing a niche, in which is seated a Buddha, of 
which there are many more than ten thousand. The 
interior is composed of three chapels. In the central 
one thrones the Great Buddha. There was another 

152 



The Summer Palace and Its Grounds 

famous Buddha in this temple, which was invested 
with peculiarly sacred qualities, but it was hurled into 
the lake below and broken into a thousand pieces when 
the foreign troops were in. possession in 1900. Her 
Majesty seemed to feel the depredations to the tem- 
ples, by the foreigners, more keenly than anything 
else. The Chinese are so perfectly tolerant in matters 
of religion, they cannot understand our attitude to- 
ward any other religion but our own, and our con- 
tempt for any other kind of worship except that in 
which we ourselves indulge. 

The Chinese are said to hate the foreigner. They 
certainly have not much reason to like him 5 nor to 
admire our much vaunted civilization. The European 
Christian soldier in China has burned, destroyed, and 
killed with as much barbarity as the heathen, and in 
many instances has given the latter points in cruelty. 

On the slope behind the terraced hill of the Ten 
Thousand Buddhas are the ruins of the old Summer 
Palace, destroyed by the European troops fifty years 
ago. After this, the site of the dwelling Palaces 
was changed, and they were massed on the southern 
side of the lake. Her Majesty has nearly hidden all 
trace of the 1900 devastations to the Summer Palace, 
but these old ruins of the former Palace still remain, 
and they are not a blot upon the landscape. On the 
contrary, they have become picturesque with time, and 
give the one note of somberness to this smiling de- 
mesne that is needed to accentuate its charm. There 
is a small lake not far from these old ruins, built 
around with smiling pavilions and a curious tower- 
like construction which is used as a private temple. 

153 



With the Empress Dowager 

There are landing-places and small boats. It looks 
like a charming bit of old Venice. We never went 
here, however, but once. There are some unhappy 
associations connected with this beautiful spot, and 
Her Majesty did not seem to care to visit it. The 
promenade in the direction of the old Palace also 
seemed to sadden her, for she had passed the early 
years of her married life in these now crumbling ruins. 
From the highest elevations in the grounds of the 
Summer Palace, we could see the road from Peking ! 
Sometimes Her Majesty and the Ladies would watch 
from some of the summer-houses, the carts and chairs 
and vehicles as they passed along. Several times we 
saw the Emperor and his suite returning from some 
ceremony in Peking, over the road cleared for his 
passage. Her Majesty, herself, would be the first to 
descry him, and she would say, " The Emperor 
comes." Then the Empress and Ladies would all 
look, for it was not against the Proprieties for them 
to look at His Majesty at such a distance. These 
views of the high road from the eminences of the Sum- 
mer Palace were all Her Majesty and the young Em- 
press ever saw of the outside world and common 
humanity ; for neither at the Winter nor Sea Palaces 
could they get any views from a distance, nor was 
there any opportunity of seeing beyond the walls. 
When Their Chinese Majesties go abroad— and this is 
generally only from one Palace to another— quaint, 
triangular flags are placed along the Imperial route, 
warning the people that Their Sacred Majesties are to 
pass, and that the road will be reserved for them 
between certain hours. No vehicles or pedestrians 

154 



The Summer Palace and Its Grounds 

are allowed for some time before and after the Im- 
perial passage. In the City of Peking, the inhabitants, 
even on the streets where the Imperial cortege is to 
pass, are shut into their houses and not allowed to go 
out of their doors during the time, and at the inter- 
section of the transversal streets huge curtains are 
hung, shutting them off from the Imperial way. For 
these progresses of Their Majesties, the roads are 
covered with yellow sand. 



/ 



155 



CHAPTER XVIII 

THE FESTIVAL OF THE HARVEST MOON— WORK ON 
THE PORTRAIT 

WE think the Chinese so unemotional, so little 
given to pleasure or amusement; but there 
are more popular festivals in China, indulged in by 
aU classes of people, than in any country in the world, 
except perhaps Japan. The people, from the highest 
to the lowest, enter into these celebrations with 
whole-souled earnestness and real enjoyment, and all 
the popular festivals, as well as the religious cere- 
monies, are celebrated in the Palace with apparently 
the same zest as among the people. 

The Mid- Autumn Festival, popularly known as the 
Festival of the Harvest Moon, which is at its full at 
the time of the celebration, was, of course, observed 
with due ceremony at the Palace. For these festivals 
there are always representations at the Palace Thea- 
ter, and one of the plays on such days is the drama- 
tization of the Legend of the Festival. The legend 
of the Harvest Moon is this : One day an Emperor 
received the visit of a fairy. When she left she gave 
the Emperor an herb, saying, should he eat it, he 
would be endowed with Immortality. The Emperor 
was called out, soon after the fairy's visit, and forgot 



156 



The Festival of the Harvest Moon 

the gift for a time, and the herb lay upon his table. 
During his absence from the Throne-room, a young 
handmaiden entered and, seeing the root on the table, 
with childish curiosity, tasted it, and, finding it 
good, ate the whole of it. When the Emperor again 
thought of his precious gift from the fairy, he has- 
tened back to the Throne-room, to remove it from the 
table where he had left it. What was his horror to 
find it gone ! Learning that the little handmaid was 
the only person who had been in the Throne-room, he 
called her up to find out what she had done with it. 
When he found she had eaten it, he ordered her 
killed, that he might thus again obtain the herb. 
Before the eunuchs could accomplish their task, the 
charm began to work, and she felt the wings of Im- 
mortality I and borne up by them, she flew to the skies 
and took refuge in the Moon, where she still lives with 
the pet white rabbit she had in her arms at the time 
she flew away from the earth. She is now an Immor- 
tal, and in the Moon she compounds the Elixir of 
Immortality. The rabbit, also, shares her immortality, 
and ever watches at the lunar threshold. 

The drama, with this little maiden as heroine, was 
played by Her Majesty's actors on the day of the 
Moon Festival, and the finale of the plays that day 
was one of the most beautiful spectacular tableaux 
I have ever seen. The Chinese obtain most artistic 
effects in their illuminations, and by the most simple 
means. The stage represented a lake covered with 
luminous lotus, with the full moon floating above. 
Throned on a gigantic lotus flower in the center of the 
lake sat an immense, golden Buddha, impassible and 

157 



With the Empress Dowager 

serene, ingeniously illuminated lotus flowers and lu- 
minous birds, emblems of Immortality, hovered over 
the lake, and the whole tableau was supposed to rep- 
resent Nirvana, when the soul is absorbed into Nature 
and forms a part of it. It was really fairy-like. 

The Ladies dined in Her Majesty's loge, and this 
beautiful, illuminated tableau was scarcely finished 
before we were obliged to hurry away to join Their 
Majesties, who had already started for the gardens 
where the ceremony was to take place. The proces- 
sion, with the Emperor and Empress Dowager and 
Ladies in fuU dress, as usual for a ceremony, was 
accompanied by hundreds of lantern-bearing eunuchs. 
It wound, in and out, through the verandahed corri- 
dors and the paths of the garden like some great 
glow-worm, until it came to the marble terrace be- 
neath the Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas, on 
the great terrace over the lake. 

Here, in an open space bathed in the rays of the 
softly glowing moon, with the glory of the setting 
sun still in the west, in front of the great Stone Pai- 
lou stood a beautifully illuminated floral pai-lou and 
an altar decorated with the usual pyramids of fruits, 
floral offerings, and flagons of wine. The pai-lou to 
the Moon was entirely of chrysanthemums, with an 
inscription '^To the Glory of the Chaste and Pure 
Celestial Orb '^ in white blooms, like gleaming stars, 
across the top. 

Their Majesties first made the bows and prostra- 
tions to the Moon, and placed floral offerings on the 
altar. Then the young Empress and Ladies did like- 
wise, while the eunuchs recited a poem in melodious 

158 



The Festival of the Harvest Moon 

and rhythmic cadence. The Chinese ^^ recitative " is 
very musica], much more so, to the foreign ear, than 
their music. This poem to the Moon was recited by 
two voices in alternating rhythm with wonderful 
effect. When the recitation was finished, an '^auto 
da fe" was made of the offerings, to which were 
added sticks of sweet incense and paper cut in curi- 
ous designs. Over all was poured some of the inflam- 
mable wine from the flagons on the altar, and the 
flames leaped high above the huge incense-burner that 
stood on a great bronze tripod in the center of the 
moonlit terrace. It was a wonderfully picturesque 
sight— the brilliant circle of splendidly gowned 
Ladies, with the Emperor and Empress Dowager in 
their midst, around the flaming censer, whose leaping 
flames glinted and glowed upon the jewels and gold 
embroidery of their costumes. The lantern-bearing 
eunuchs formed a faintly glowing circle around this 
shining center; and over the whole fantastic pic- 
ture the brilliant Harvest Moon shone with unwonted 
splendor, as if to show itself worthy of the obeisances 
it had just received from this brilliant group. 

When the flames no longer leaped from the censer, 
when only the white smoke of the incense curled 
through the interstices of its cover, Their Majesties 
turned away, and the lantern-lit procession followed 
them to the banks of the lake, where the whole Palace 
fleet, brilliantly illuminated, lay moored beneath the 
marble terrace. The eunuchs, holding aloft their 
gleaming lanterns, stood along the terrace and knelt 
on the steps leading into the water, while Their Majes- 
ties descended them. On two of the boats, at either 

159 



With the Empress Dowager 

side of the Imperial barge, the eunuchs held their lan- 
terns to form the characters *' Peace " and " Prosper- 
ity." The waters of the lake were now glowing with 
the reflections of the myriad lanterns and dancing 
under their many-colored lights. A faint glow still 
illumined the western sky, while the reflection of the 
resplendent Moon gleamed like liquid diamonds across 
the lake ! When we reached the Imperial landing- 
place, its great arc-lights on the two tall, painted poles 
sent their reflections shimmering, in long, wavy lines, 
far out into the lake, and almost rivaled in their splen- 
dor that of the celestial orb itself. 

Although I took part in all these Palace festivals, 
my work on the portrait was advancing, but I longed 
for more opportunity to quietly study it and for a little 
more freedom in working. I felt I needed more time 
also for my painting. I ardently desired to be able to 
work some when Her Majesty did not pose, and I 
Anally decided to ask her to allow me to remain at 
my painting when she and the Ladies went for their 
morning walks after a short sitting. It was a depri- 
vation for me to give up even one of these delightful 
walks, when I saw such a charming side of the Em- 
press Dowager's character, but I felt it must be done. 
She reluctantly consented to excuse me on a few 
occasions, but she seemed to feel it was not hospitable 
on her part to leave me alone ; and when she did so she 
would remain out a shorter time than usual. She 
seemed so concerned at my working while the others 
enjoyed themselves, that I soon ceased to ask to be left 
at work ; I could only try to make the best of the time 
I had at my disposal. 

i6o 



Work on the Portrait 

My desire to have more time for my painting and 
more opportunity for studying the work was not the 
only cloud in the heaven of these delightful days. As 
the portrait progressed I found myself constantly run- 
ning up against Chinese conventionalities as to the 
way it was done. They wished so much detail and no 
shadow. Had Her Majesty been alone to be consid- 
ered, she was artistic and progressive enough to have, 
in the end, allowed me more liberty 5 but she, also, was 
obliged to conform to tradition, and no fantasy could 
be indulged in painting the portrait of a Celestial 
Majesty. It was necessary to conform to rigid con- 
ventions. 

I had such a fine opportunity to do something really 
picturesque in painting this great Empress and most 
interesting woman, and I found I was to be bound 
down by the iron fetters of Chinese tradition ! I could 
neither choose an accessory, nor even arrange a fold 
according to the lines of the composition. I was 
obliged to follow, in every detail, centuries-old con- 
ventions. There could be no shadows and very little 
perspective, and everything must be painted in such 
full light as to lose all relief and picturesque effect. 
When I saw I must represent Her Majesty in such a 
conventional way as to make her unusually attractive 
personality banal, I was no longer filled with the ardent 
enthusiasm for my work with which I had begun it, and 
I had many a heartache and much inward rebellion 
before I settled down to the inevitable. 

The Empress Dowager, however, knew nothing of 
my discouragement, and seemed perfectly contented 
with the progress of the portrait then on hand— so 

161 



With the Empress Dowager 

pleased, in fact, she asked me if I would not like Mrs. 
Conger to come and see it. I, of course, replied that I 
would, and an invitation was accordingly sent, through 
the Foreign Office, inviting Mrs. Conger to come to 
see the portrait. 

As Her Majesty was to receive her in the Throne- 
room where I painted, it was decided I could not work 
on that day. I fully expected the portrait would be 
exhibited in the Throne-room, the only place where it 
had a proper light 5 but, to my disappointment, Mrs. 
Conger was asked to look at it in the small room 
where it was kept when I was not working on it. 
When we went in, the Chief Eunuch ceremoniously 
removed the yellow covering over the " Sacred Pic- 
ture," which hung flat against the wall in a very bad 
light, with annoying reflections. The small room was 
also uncomfortably crowded with Her Majesty and 
suite, so that it was impossible to see the whole can- 
vas at once. Mrs. Conger was, however, so pleased 
with the likeness and lifelike expression in the eyes, 
the upper part of the picture being in a fairly good 
light, that the comment stopped here. 

This first portrait represented the Empress Dowa- 
ger sitting on one of her favorite Cantonese carved 
Thrones. The figure was life-size. In one hand she 
held a flower, and the other lay over a yellow cushion. 
The tip of one small embroidered shoe, with its jeweled, 
white kid sole resting on a dragon footstool, showed 
under the hem of her gown. The head was a three- 
quarters view, with the eyes looking at the observer. 
A jardiniere, with her favorite orchid, stood behind 
the Throne at the right. It was painted in fuU light. 

162 



Work on the Portrait 

The canvas was four by six feet in size ; and there was 
thus no place for any of the emblems or insignia of 
Her Majesty's rank, save that she was clothed in her 
official costume of Imperial yellow. 

This was the conventional realit}^, and I had 
dreamed of painting Her Majesty in one of her Buddha- 
like poses, sitting erect upon an antique Throne of 
the Dynasty, with one beautifully rounded arm and 
exquisitely shaped hand resting on its high side, con- 
trasting in their grace with its severe lines. I should 
have exaggerated her small stature by placing her 
upon the largest of these Dynastic Thrones. Her 
wonderfully magnetic personality alone should have 
dominated. At the left of the Throne, I should have 
placed one of those huge Palace braziers, its blue 
flames leaping into the air, their glow glinting here and 
there upon her jewels and the rich folds of her drapery ; 
the whole enveloped in the soft azure smoke of in- 
cense, rising from splendid antique bronze censers. 
Across the base of the picture, under her feet, should 
have writhed and sprawled the rampant double 
dragon. The Eternal Feminine, with its eternal enig- 
ma shining from her inscrutable eyes, should have 
pierced, with almost cruel penetration, the mystery of 
her surroundings. Her face should have shone out of 
this dim interior, as her personality does above her 
real environment. I should have tried to show all 
the force and strength of her nature in that charac- 
teristic face, exaggerating every feature of it, rather 
than toning down one line. 

With all these possibilities that the Empress Dowa- 
ger's person and surroundings would suggest to the 

163 



With the Empress Dowager 

most unimaginative of artists, and with the conven- 
tional traditions, which I was obliged to follow, no 
wonder I became discouraged. But I had always the 
solace of her personality— the fascinating study of 
herself to delight and console me. New phases of 
her character and personality were constantly opening 
out before me. She dominates everything and every- 
body in the Palace, and is far and away, the most 
interesting personality there, not because she is the 
first figure at the Court, but because she is really the 
most interesting one, and she would be that in any 
position. No wonder that when she smiles the Court 
is gay— her smile is so entrancing. No wonder that 
when she frowns the Court trembles, for she excites 
sympathy in all her moods. 



164 



CHAPTER XIX 

A GARDEN PARTY AT THE SUMMER PALACE 

NOT long after this, Her Majesty gave a garden 
party for the ladies and gentlemen of the Lega- 
tions. These garden parties occupy two days, for 
ladies and gentlemen are not received at the same 
time by Their Majesties of China. The Corps Diplo- 
matique and attaches were entertained the first day, 
and the ladies of the Legations the following day. 
The entertainment was the same for each. The gen- 
tlemen were formally received in the Great Audience 
Hall by Their Majesties, after which a repast was 
served them in a pavilion near. When this was fin- 
ished, they were taken for a tour of the gardens and 
lakes, and they left the Palace about two o'clock. 
None of the Ladies of the Court, except, of course, 
the Empress Dowager, were present at the receptions 
of the gentlemen of the Corps Diplomatique. The 
ladies of the Legations were received the following 
day. 

I was rather embarrassed as to what I should do, at 
this first formal reception, for the ladies of the Lega- 
tions, since my arrival in the Palace. Being a for- 
eigner, I thought it looked incongruous for me to 
receive with the Chinese Ladies. My uneasiness 

165 



With the Empress Dowager 

seemed to be divined by Her Majesty (she was always 
wonderful for her tact) ; she said, as I had been pre- 
sented first in private Audience, it would be well for me 
to be presented also in public Audience. She suggested 
that I should go to the Foreign Office, meet Mrs. 
Conger on her arrival, and come into the Throne- 
room with her. When the eunuchs announced that 
the ladies had arrived at the Foreign Office, Her 
Majesty ordered my red Palace chair to take me 
there. 

The Foreign Office is only a few hundred yards to 
the left of the Imperial entrance to the Palace. Mrs. 
Conger was one of the first ladies to arrive. When 
the other ladies came, all walked over to the gate of 
the Palace, and, after entering, went to a pavilion at 
the right of the Audience Hall, where they arranged 
themselves in the order in which they were to be 
presented. 

The verandah and large marble platform of ap- 
proach to the Audience Hall were shaded with tent- 
like silken awnings and covered, for the day, with 
red carpets, the latter a concession to foreign taste ; 
for Her Majesty, though having many beautiful car- 
pets stored up, has none in use, and only in winter 
and for certain functions are the courts carpeted. 
She never uses them in the interior. 

A double line of Princesses, led by the Princess 
Imperial, descended the steps of the Audience Hall 
and met the ladies on the marble platform. The 
Princesses then turned and preceded them into the 
Audience Hall. Here they separated and stood in a 
picturesque group on either side of the Throne dais. 

i66 



A Garden Party 



Here, in the dim obscurity, sat the Empress Dowa- 
ger on the Dynastic Throne, with the Emperor seated 
at her left. In front of Her Majesty stood the official 
table, with its cover of Imperial yellow reaching to the 
floor. To the ladies standing below the dais only the 
heads and shoulders of the Empress Dowager were 
visible above the table, with its pyramids of fruits 
and flowers. 

The ladies made three reverences on entering, and 
each advanced and went up on the dais at her presenta- 
tion. Her Majesty's interpreter, the elder Miss Yu, 
stood at her right, a little behind, and repeated the 
Chinese name and title of each lady presented. Her 
Majesty, who has a royal memory for faces, recog- 
nized each lady who had been presented before, but 
treated all with equal cordiality. This cordiality was 
sometimes construed by the ladies, on their first pres- 
entation, as a special mark of interest in themselves ; 
but it was the Empress Dowager's invariable posi- 
tion toward all the foreigners at these diplomatic 
receptions. Like all well-bred hostesses, she was 
most particular to show no difference even to those 
ladies she liked best. 

When all had been presented, the eunuchs removed 
the official table behind which the Empress Dowager 
received the formal presentations, and she descended 
from the dais. One of her yellow satin chairs was 
brought and she sat down at the right side of the 
Audience Hall. The ladies were then, collectively, 
presented by Her Majesty to the young Empress and 
the Princess Imperial, and tea was ordered. While 
the ladies were drinking tea, standing around the 

167 



With the Empress Dowager 

Empress Dowager's chair, she said a few words 
to each, informally. 

When the tea was finished, the ladies, conducted by 
the eunuchs and accompanied by the Princesses, went 
through the court of the Theater, past the Palace of 
the young Empress, through Her Majesty's court to 
her Throne-room, where luncheon was served. This 
was in alternate courses of foreign and Chinese food. 
There were foreign wines and table waters, as well as 
Chinese, and quantities of sweet champagne, without 
which, the Chinese imagine, no foreigner can eat. 

After luncheon, at which the Imperial Princess and 
Princesses acted as hostesses, the visiting ladies went 
to the marble terrace overlooking the lake. Here they 
were met by the young Empress and the secondary 
wife of the Emperor, for they were never present at 
the table when the foreign ladies were entertained, 
any more than Her Majesty herself. 

The Empress Dowager's barge did not lead the 
Palace fleet that day. There were three big house- 
boats, each of which ponderous affairs had a large 
cabin with a yellow-covered seat for Her Majesty, 
which, though she never used, was never occupied by 
any one else. Anything covered with yellow is sacred 
to Their Majesties, and is never used except by them. 

We were rowed across the lake, first to the island, 
where the Palace and small temple adjacent were 
visited, after which the ladies took the boats again 
and continued the tour of the lake to the Marble Boat. 
This Marble Boat was built over the lake as a summer- 
house for one of the Emperors, and is on the plan of 
the Palace house-boat, but with an upper, as well as 

i68 




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fm. 






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THE SECONDARY WIFE OF THE EMPEROR 

In Summer Coiffure 



A Garden Party 



lower deck. It is one of the things in the Summer 
Palace most talked about by foreigners, and it is a 
curiosity, though not a thing of beauty. It was never 
made the objective point of any of Her Majesty's 
promenades, nor visited, except when foreigners were 
invited to the Palace. On the lower deck of the 
Marble Boat, where was the best view of the lake, light 
refreshments, sweets, and fruits were served. When 
the tour of the lake was finished, the ladies made 
their adieus to Their Majesties and the young Em- 
press and Princesses, and left the Palace grounds for 
the Foreign Office, where they took their own chairs 
and carriages for Peking. 

In spite of Her Majesty's cordiality and the efforts 
of the Princesses and Ladies, these garden parties 
were not always as pleasant as they might be. There 
seemed an absolute lack of harmony among the ladies 
of the Legation. Each seemed to watch the other with 
a jealous eye, in constant fear that some one might 
overstep her place. Some did not hesitate, even, to 
show their private animosities on the steps of the 
Throne, or before their hostesses at the table. They 
seemed to act on the principle that the Chinese, not 
understanding the language, would not understand 
anything else. It was unfortunate that this most 
punctilious of people, the Chinese, should have had 
this apparent lack of friendliness to judge the Euro- 
pean ladies by. They received all with equal favor and 
perfect etiquette, and it was a pity that the lack of 
harmony among the foreign ladies should have led 
them to commit what seemed to be breaches of eti- 
quette, which the Chinese could not have failed to 

169 



With the Empress Dowager 

observe. I was astonished to see how observant the 
latter were and how accurately they gauged our 
standing. 

Their comments on our costumes were also very 
interesting. Her Majesty seemed to like foreign dress, 
especially when in pretty colors, for she reveled in 
color. She said the foreign costume was very becom- 
ing to well-made and well-proportioned people 5 but 
she thought, while it showed off to advantage a good 
figure, it was unfortunate for any one who was not 
so blessed. She thought the Chinese costume, falling in 
straight lines from the shoulder, was more becoming 
to stout people, for it hid many defects. One universal 
comment, among these Chinese ladies, on us, was that 
we look old for our years. The well-bred Chinese repress, 
from early childhood, all outward evidences of emo- 
tion. They lead such simple, wholesome lives— ^' Early 
to bed and early to rise ''—that there are rarely any 
lines visible in their faces until they reach an advanced 
age, when they seem to go suddenly from ripe woman- 
hood into extreme old age. 

They have a particular aversion to blond hair. They 
did not tell me so, as I have blond hair ; but on the stage 
all the demons are represented with blond hair, and the 
more blond it is, the more wicked the demon. One day, 
one of the Ladies suggested to me that there were some 
very fine vegetable hair dyes for turning the hair black 
without injuring it ; in fact, the growth was increased 
thereby. She said if I used this, my hair ^' might in 
time become black; at least, it would grow much 
darker." 



170 



CHAPTER XX 

I BEGIN A SECOND PORTRAIT OF HER MAJESTY— THE 
PALACE PAINTERS 

I HAD several days of good work on the portrait 
after the garden party, when Her Majesty decided 
it was sufficiently advanced for the characters, giving 
her name and titles, to be placed across the top of the 
canvas. As she has sixteen appellations, represented 
by sixteen characters, and as they were all to be placed 
upon the picture, together with her two seals, official 
and personal, it required some manoeuvering to get 
them into the space required. This lettering was looked 
upon as a very important detail ; there were numbers 
of models of the characters made before the proper size 
and style was arrived at. The seals, about three inches 
long, had to be placed at either end of the sixteen char- 
acters, and there was a great deal of deliberation as 
to the color in which the characters were to be painted. 
Red was finally decided upon. The two seals were to 
be painted, one in red characters on a white ground, 
and the other in white characters on a red ground. 
As I had not known these appellations were to be 
placed across the top of the canvas when I began the 
portrait, I had not allowed for them, and putting them 
on took away from the space above the head and de- 

171 



With the Empress Dowager 

tracted from the general effect. This wab another dis- 
couragement. I left the discussion of the lettering to 
Her Majesty and the writers, and I decided to give the 
canvas over entirely to the latter for a few days, in order 
that they might place the characters thereon, and that 
Her Majesty might have time to decide upon their 
color at her leisure. 

Her Majesty had told me, a few days before, she 
wished me to paint a '^ number of portraits" of her, so 
I decided to begin another now, and I hoped to be able, 
as this was not to be an official portrait, to have a 
little more liberty in painting it. Her Majesty de- 
cided that it should be painted in her ordinary dress 
and without the Mancliu coiffure, which she only wears 
at her Audiences, as it is very heavy and very tiring 
to her head. The day I began the portrait she had on 
a gown of soft, embroidered blue. Her hair, in a coil 
at the top of her head, was beautifully dressed, with 
the jasmine flowers so quaintly arranged, a realistic 
butterfly poised above them ; her jewels so discreet and 
picturesque, I asked her to pose and let me paint 
her as she was then. Her coiffure, without the Man- 
chu head-dress, is much more becoming to her than 
with the huge, wing- like construction which made her 
look top-heavy ; for when she wore it, being in official 
costume, she was obliged to wear a great profusion 
of jewels and ornaments. In this portrait she was 
seated upon her Throne, but not in a traditional atti- 
tude, and I began it full of hope ; for, at least, I had 
more choice as to the surroundings and accessories, 
which were not obliged to be '' according to tradition." 
As it was only to be seen by her intimates, I asked 

172 



The Palace Painters 

her to let me paint her two favorite dogs lying beside 
her footstool, the blond ^' Shadza " and dusky ^' Hailo." 
Her Majesty gladly consented, and " Hailo '' was or- 
dered to be decorated in his '' gala costume." This 
consisted of two huge chrysanthemums tied in his hair 
over his ears. '' Shadza," the Pekingese pug, resented 
any such accoutrement and was painted in his natural 
state. She took the liveliest interest in the painting of 
the dogs' portraits, and seemed to think it much more 
wonderful to paint these little animals, so that they 
were recognizable, than to make a likeness of herself. 
I was obliged, of course, to do them very quickly. She 
sat behind me all the time I was painting them, and 
the rapidity with which they grew much astonished her. 
I discovered about this time I was not the only 
painter in the Palace. Her Majesty has a corps of 
painters always there. These painters decorate the 
thousands of lanterns used in the Palace ceremonies 
and processions. They paint the scenery for the 
spectacular plays at the Theater, and the flowers used 
for the decorations of the screen-like walls I have al- 
ready alluded to. Some are very clever flower painters, 
and one even paints portraits, but they have never seen 
the Empress Dowager except from afar! Though 
Mandarins of the Third rank, the painters were obliged 
to withdraw from the court where they worked when 
Her Majesty and suite passed by. It was amusing to 
see these dignified, handsomely gowned officials being 
hurried out of the court on Her Majesty's approach by 
the eunuchs who precede her. Their paintings were 
submitted to her by one of the eunuchs, by whom she 
sent her instructions to them. 

173 



With the Empress Dowager 

I saw these painters first, at the time of the chrys- 
anthemums. There were some new varieties in one 
of Her Majesty's courts that she wished painted. 
One day, on going into this court, I saw a group 
of bebuttoned officials studying the flowers. They 
gravely inclined their heads with the customary dig- 
nity of the Chinese, and I found later they were 
'-'confreres." 

It was interesting to me to see their methods— so 
different from ours, but arriving at a very artistic 
result. I never spoke to them; but, as I was an 
outer barbarian, I took advantage of my position and 
watched them work from my windows, though I took 
care to keep myself hidden behind the curtains, in true 
Oriental style. They worked in the court quite near 
my pavilion. The chief painter selected the flower 
to be copied, and the others stood around while he 
painted, petal by petal, with most laborious and 
minute attention. While he worked, the others took 
notes and made studies of the same flower. When 
this laborious first study was finished, it was copied 
with a freer hand by one of the painters, and this 
copy was copied until they finally arrived at a dash- 
ing study, which seemed to be done ^*de premier 
coup." 

When the chrysanthemums were in their full 
glory, one day when Her Majesty had allowed me to 
remain at my work while she and the Ladies went for 
their walk, she brought me, on her return, a curious 
new variety. When she handed it to me she said, " I 
will give you something nice if you guess what I 
have named this flower." It was one of those new 

174 



The Palace Painters 

varieties with hair-like petals and a compact cen- 
ter, like the bald head of an old man. I told her 
I was afraid I could n't guess, but I thought '' it looked 
like an old man's head." She was delighted, and said, 
'^You have guessed. I have just given it the name 
of the Old Man of the Mountain." 

We were still having daily walks in the gardens, 
and there was always some delightful little incident 
to make them pleasant and memorable. One day, 
when we were out and were resting, while Her Majesty 
was sitting alone before the "Peony Mountain," the 
young Empress and Ladies stood in a group at a little 
distance. We were near some arbor-vitae trees, and 
the young Empress picked a piece that looked like a 
"peacock's feather." She told me to kneel and let her 
"decorate" me. She stuck the curiously shaped 
branch in my hair so that it hung over the neck and 
looked like the "peacock feather," which is given as 
a reward of merit to the highest officials, and is always 
worn upon their hats. When she had placed it, she 
told me to rise, and called me "Your Excellency 
Carl," which is the title of those who possess the deco- 
ration of the peacock feather. I kept it in my hair 
and soon quite forgot my " decoration." When we 
were walking on, Her Majesty noticed it. She had 
been preoccupied and sad that day, but when she saw 
it she smiled, and said, "Who decorated you with the 
peacock feather?" I told her the young Empress had 
done so. She said that was her prerogative, but she 
added, "If you were a man you would win it, and 
probably a yellow jacket also, for you are fearless." 
Why did she think me fearless? Could she have 

^75 



With the Empress Dowager 

heard that the foreigners in Peking seemed to think 
it was almost as much as taking my life in my own 
hands to go and live entirely alone among the Chi- 
nese at Court, and put myself in Her Majesty's power, 
after the Boxer trouble ? 

Another afternoon we went into the Great Audience 
Hall when we were passing it, and I had an oppor- 
tunity of studying in detail the interior of this mag- 
nificent hall. I examined closely some of the rare 
old niellee bronzes and wonderful Chinese cloisonne, 
for here are some of the finest specimens in the Sum- 
mer Palace. In the back of the hall were three 
pianos, two upright and a new Grand piano, which 
had but lately arrived at the Palace. Her Majesty 
wished us to try the Grand piano, and one of Lady 
Yu-Keng's daughters, who had studied music in Paris, 
played a few airs. Her Majesty thought the piano a 
curious sort of instrument, but lacking in volume 
and tone for so large an instrument. She asked me 
to play also, and then said she would like to see how 
the foreigners danced, and suggested my playing 
some dance music. The Misses Yu-Keng waltzed, and 
she thought it very amusing to watch them. She 
could not, however, understand how ladies and 
gentlemen could enjoy dancing together, nor what 
pleasure they found in it. She said the Chinese pay 
others to dance for them, and would not think of 
doing so themselves for pleasure. It seemed to her 
the charm was rather in watching the graceful move- 
ments of the dancer than in executing those move- 
ments one's self. I wondered what she would say, 
could she see one of our crowded European ball-rooms, 

176 



The Palace Painters 

with hundreds of couples on the floor at the same 
time, making violent efforts to steer through the 
crowd. I fancy she would not have found pleasure 
even in watching these dancers. 



^n 



CHAPTER XXI 

A EUROPEAN CIRCUS AT THE PALACE 

CHINESE ceremonies and celebrations were not 
all I was destined to enjoy while at the Summer 
Palace. There began to be talk of some ''foreign 
entertainment" soon to be given, and when I found 
this foreign entertainment was to be a circus, a real 
European circus, I was delighted. I had been out in 
China two years, and had not had much European 
entertainment during that time, and— shall I confess 
it?— I dearly loved a circus if the horses and animals 
were fine. This circus was then in Tientsin, and 
some one had suggested to Their Majesties it would 
be an interesting thing to see. A young Manchu was 
sent to Tientsin to investigate. When he returned, 
flaming posters were submitted to Their Majesties by 
the Chief Eunuchs. When the Empress Dowager saw 
the vulgarlj^ colored picture of a summarily clad young 
woman of the show, I was watching her face and I 
saw a look of contemptuous scorn pass over it. She 
brightened up, however, when she saw the pictures of 
the animals at their tricks, and the men on horses, 
and it was decided that the circus should be brought 
up from Tientsin ! The animals and performers were 
to be domiciled in one of the parks near by, but the 

178 



A European Circus at the Palace 

tent was to be stretched within the inclosure of the 
Palace. 

Sites for the ring were discussed, and it was finally 
decided to have the tents pitched at the extreme west- 
ern end of the lake. There was a large open field 
here, planted in turnips ! As the turnips were ready 
to be gathered, it was decided that the crop should 
be pulled up and this place prepared for the tents. 

One day we went out into the turnip field, and the 
Empress Dowager herself pulled the first turnip ; then 
the Empress and all the Princesses pulled some, and 
when they found a curiously shaped one, it was given 
to Her Majesty. It was a strange sight to see the 
Great Empress Dowager, sitting there at the side of the 
field, on her yellow camp-stool, smiling and interested, 
with the turnips piled around her, and the gaily 
dressed Empress and Princesses in their silken gowns 
flitting in and out of the field, apparently enjoying, to 
its utmost, the simple task of pulling these prosaic 
vegetables. The eunuchs and attendants stood in 
crowds around to take the turnips when pulled. They 
were not allowed, however, to pull any themselves. 
When a small square was denuded, Her Majesty 
and the Ladies returned to the Palace, and an army 
of workmen came and pulled up the whole field and 
began to prepare the ground for the circus tents. 

As the performance of the circus was to be on the 
first day of the month, the Imperial players were at 
the Theater. When the morning Audience was fin- 
ished, Their Majesties and the Empress and Ladies 
went to the Theater and listened to two or three plays. 
After luncheon, taken in the Imperial loge, Their Maj- 

179 



With the Empress Dowager 

esties started for the landing-place, followed by the 
young Empress and Ladies. The lake was gay with 
beautiful barges, great house-boats, and numbers of 
flat boats for the eunuchs. The barges and house- 
boats were picturesquely decorated with flying ban- 
ners, pennants, and tasseled wands. Two steam- 
launches, puffing away, gave an air of modernity to 
this most Oriental fleet. One of the steam-launches 
was splendidly decorated with yellow banners, with 
gorgeous yellow silk scarfs festooned around the cabin 
and the Imperial flag flying above it. The Empress 
Dowager and the Emperor descended the marble steps 
to this gaily decked launch, and started off alone 
for the other end of the lake, the Imperial banners 
and colors flying. 

The Empress and Princesses went in the Empress's 
State boat; the visiting ladies followed in another 
of these ponderous but picturesque affairs. In size 
they are as large as an ordinary Chinese pavilion. 
The Empress's cabin was carpeted and splendidly up- 
holstered in cloth of gold, with the usual tea-tables 
and lounges. It had one of those gallery-like prows 
with silken awnings, vfhere the Princesses stood. 
The young Empress sat within, on one of the gold- 
covered couches. As she had been brought up with 
several of the Princesses as playmates, the young 
Empress generally waived ceremony with them ; but 
she knew how, when necessary, to maintain a sweet 
dignity that was charming and perfectly in accord 
with her exalted position. To-day was a State occa- 
sion. She sat alone, and the Ladies remained outside 
on the prow. She asked me to come in and showed 

180 



A European Circus at the Palace 

me the interior and some of the curiously inlaid tables. 
She knew I was interested in all these things. She 
made me sit at her side^ and when I demurred she said 
she knew it was not the foreign custom to sit on cush- 
ions on the floor, as was the habit of the Ladies when 
in her presence, and that I must sit beside her. This 
was the consideration they always showed me at the 
Palace, which I fully realized was not due to any spe- 
cial liking for me, but simply to their exquisite breed- 
ing—their desire to make me feel comfortable and at 
home. 

When we arrived at the other side of the lake, the Em- 
press and Ladies stood while Their Majesties landed. 
They were welcomed by a great burst of music from 
the bands. A number of Princes and Officials stood 
waiting to receive them and conduct them to the hand- 
some loges that had been prepared for them. 

It was a picturesque procession that started from 
the landing-place— the Empress Dowager and the Em- 
peror, under the big, embroidered, yellow silk, State 
umbrellas, preceded and surrounded by gorgeously 
attired attendants and splendidly gowned officials, the 
young Empress and Ladies, in gala attire, following 
after, with their eunuchs and attendants. The daj was 
perfect, and glorious sunshine added to the brilliant 
effect. The side of the tent toward the Imperial loges 
was open. There was a railed platform before the pavil- 
ions that had been erected as '^ loges." These pavilions 
were luxuriously fitted up : Their Majesties' loges were 
hung with the Imperial yellow. A yellow satin chair 
(with a smaller one at its left) was placed in the center 
of the raised platform, under the silken awning, and 

i8i 



With the Empress Dowager 

Their Majesties could sit here or within as they chose. 
The Empress and Ladies stood in groups on either side 
of this platform. 

About two hundred officials had been invited to see 
the circus, and, contrary to the usual custom, there 
was no screen between them and the Imperial party. 
On the right were two bands of foreign music, 
or rather of Chinese musicians who played foreign 
music on European instruments. These were the 
bands of Yuan-Shih-Kai, Viceroy of Tientsin, and of 
Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector-General of Imperial 
Customs. Sir Robert's band was formed about 
eighteen years since, when, as music is his hobby, he 
decided to try to have some Chinese taught Euro- 
pean music on European instruments. He has now a 
well-equipped band of twenty trained Chinese musi- 
cians under a competent European conductor. They 
play on both brass and stringed instruments. His 
efforts have been so successful that his example has 
lately been followed by several high Chinese Officials, 
first among whom was Yuan-Shih-Kai. The latter's 
band is military, with fifty musicians, who play only 
on brass instruments. The two bands played alter- 
nately during the intervals of the performance. 

For the first time during my residence at the Pal- 
ace, I now had an opportunity of seeing the Imperial 
Princes and many of the great nobles and officials. 
Though they were often asked to the Theater at the 
Palace, the screen between them and the Imperial loge 
was never removed, except at the end of the perform- 
ance, when they bowed their thanks and when the 
Ladies retired to their own loge. The gentlemen, 

182 



A European Circus at the Palace 

however, could be well seen at the circus ; and though 
the Chinese Ladies did not glance in their direction, I 
took advantage of being a foreigner, and when I was 
behind the others, and could do so without being seen, 
I closely scanned their faces and attire. Several of the 
Princes of the Imperial Family came up to the plat- 
form where Their Majesties sat and made their bows 
to them, afterward slightly saluting their relations 
among the Ladies and Princesses. 

Among these young Princes at the circus was a son 
of Prince Kung and an adopted son of the Imperial 
Princess. This young man not only had a remarkably 
fine figure, tall and slender, with broad shoulders, but 
his face was very handsome. His bow, on coming up 
to pay his respects to Their Majesties, was as graceful 
as that of a young chevalier. His regard was so in- 
genuous, his expression so clever and withal so mod- 
est, his whole demeanor so gracious, I was much 
struck with him. His dress was elegant, and his 
jewels chosen with discretion. There was none of that 
overloading of belt ornamentation that the young 
dandies of the Imperial set were then affecting. His 
father was one of the great Princes of China, and if 
this young man develops and carries out the promise of 
his youth (he was then only seventeen), I fancy he will 
be heard of also. Like most of the young Manchu 
Princes, he held a position in the Imperial household, 
such as Master of the Horse or Captain of the Archers. 

It was not much of a circus, but none of the Imperial 
party had ever seen one before, and the setting was 
so gorgeous, it was unique as a circus performance 
even to me. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor 

183 



With the Empress Dowager 

had splendidly jeweled opera-glasses, which a eunuch 
held ready for their use. The Emperor, disliking to be 
looked at, held his own glasses before his face most of 
the time. It seemed to me he used them principally 
for the purpose of screening himself. The animals 
pleasedboth Their Majesties ; but aside from the dwarf s, 
of which there were two, the rest of the performers 
seemed to have but a mediocre interest for them. 
Her Majesty was particularly interested in the dogs 
and trained animals, and His Majesty in the horses 
and fancy riding. I was standing near him, and he 
looked keenly at me several times to see how the per- 
formance struck me; and one of his head eunuchs 
asked me in English— the Emperor would not try it— 
whether I thought it was " good or bad." Their Majes- 
ties sat through the performance, the Empress Dowa- 
ger only retiring to her loge once during the time, which 
was while one of the summarily clad young ladies was 
gyrating on a trapeze. There was a magnificent tigress 
which the circus master had trained, and which was his 
" piece de resistance." The Empress Dowager would 
not allow this to be taken out of its cage, and though 
it was brought out in front of the Imperial platform, 
it was too cat-like to interest her. She has a great 
antipathy to anything feline. When the performance 
was finished, the Imperial party left in the same state 
in which it had arrived, Their Majesties accompanied 
to the launch by the Princes and high Officials, the 
music of the two bands playing simultaneously. The 
Ladies of the Palace and Their Majesties, themselves, 
have so little novelty in their lives, I think, on the whole, 
the innovation of the circus was generally appreciated. 

184 



CHAPTER XXII 

PALACE CUSTOMS 

THE Empress Dowager is an early riser, but the 
joint Audiences which Their Majesties now hold 
are never at the extraordinary hours in vogue when 
His Majesty ruled alone. When there is a press of 
business, and many heads of departments to be seen, 
the Audiences begin very early, but they rarely extend 
past eleven o'clock— the usual hours being from half- 
past seven to eleven. 

When the Empress Dowager sleeps, a maid watches 
in her room, two eunuchs stand on guard in the ante- 
chamber to the room, four watch at the door of the ante- 
chamber, and her body-guard of eunuchs fiU the build- 
ing where her private apartments are situated. The 
maid and eunuchs who watch in the night are changed 
every second day. Only the High Eunuchs are in- 
trusted with the duty of guarding her bed-chamber 
and Throne-room. At the Summer Palace, Her 
Majesty's bedroom is not more than fifteen feet 
square ; the bed, like all in North China, is built into 
an alcove in the room. Shelves run around the three 
inclosed sides of the alcove, and on these are placed 
Her Majesty's favorite ornaments— small jade curios^ 
books, and, of course, clocks. In this bedroom I 

185 



With the Empress Dowager 

counted fifteen timepieces on the bed shelves, and 
all running. Their ticking and striking, not at all 
simultaneous, was enough to run a nervous European 
woman wild; but Her Majesty takes so much out- 
door exercise, she seemed to have no nerves. There 
were no flowers in her bedroom, but the ante-chamber, 
leading into it, was always full of flowers, pyramids of 
apples, and '^ Buddha's hands."^ The bed alcove is sepa- 
rated from the room by satin curtains, suspended from 
a handsomely embroidered valance, with two long 
embroidered bands to loop them back. 

Her Majesty is a light and irregular sleeper. When 
she wakes and finds it impossible to go to sleep again, 
she rises, is dressed, and often goes for a walk in the 
grounds, at what we would call the most unseasonable 
of hours. She says Nature is beautiful at every hour 
of the twenty-four, with a different charm for each 
moment. As she loves it in all its phases, she likes 
to see it at every hour of the twenty-four, at least 
once a year ! When she wakes and goes for a walk 
at night, the eunuchs who are on duty in her Palace 
accompany her with lanterns, but she never takes these 
night walks, except by moonlight, and when the night 
is beautiful. 

Whether she has slept well or ill, she rises at six 
o'clock ; for the morning is devoted to business, and she 
never misses an Audience. On rising, she takes a bowl 
of hot milk, or lotus-root porridge ; then her maids and 
tiring-women begin her toilet for the Audience. This 
is the " grande toilette " for the day, for full dress is 
worn by the Chinese in the morning, and in the evening 
they wear simple gowns. When her toilet is finished, 

i86 



Palace Customs 

the young Empress and Ladies, having " assisted '- 
(from without) at her " lever," she comes out into the 
Throne-room and receives their morning greeting. 
The Emperor then comes to pay his respects to the 
Great Ancestress, and together they go in State, ac- 
companied by all the Ladies of the Court, to the Great 
Audience Hall. The Ladies of the Court remain out- 
side the Great Hall until the Audience is finished, 
when they accompany Her Majesty to her Throne- 
room. The business of the day is then over. Her 
Majesty lays aside her robes of State and gives herself 
up to duties connected with the Palace. 

While I was painting the portraits, she would pose 
on returning from the Audience ; or, if the Audience 
had been too tiring, she would first go for a walk. 
Then would begin her various self-imposed household 
duties. She would overlook the baskets of flowers 
and fruits sent into the Palace daily, select some to 
be sent as presents, and send others to the eunuchs 
of the kitchen to be cooked. Then she would look at 
new rolls of silk, just arrived from the Imperial looms, 
or examine new articles of toilet, fresh from the work- 
shops of the Palace tailors. Sometimes she would 
play a game, of which she seemed very fond, and of 
which I know no counterpart. It was played on a large 
square boardjcovered with white silk and painted in fan- 
tastic designs, representing the Earth and Fairyland. 
The object of the game was to get an ivory chessman, 
representing "man," into Fairyland. The length of 
the move was decided by throwing dice. There was 
no box for throwing the dice : they were taken in the 
hands and thrown into a jade bowl. The numbers 



187 



With the Empress Dowager 

uppermost were then counted and the move made. 
She would play this game with the Princesses ; and 
sometimes two of the High Eunuchs, who were profi- 
cient, would be called in to make out the number. The 
game was played for money, but, if Her Majesty won, 
the others did not pay. If, however, they won, she 
paid, and at once. She was ever a cheerful giver. She 
had wonderful luck, and it was a rare occurrence for 
the others to win. I only happened to see it three 
times. The Princesses were always pleased to play 
this game, for they had a chance of winning and they 
never lost. One day I saw her get quite angry with 
one of the Ladies playing. This Lady could not bear 
to lose, and would get sulky and cross if she did. 
This annoyed Her Majesty, until finally she reproved 
her sharply. She asked her why she played a game if 
she were not willing to take her chances as they 
came, and meet loss or gain with equal equanimity. 

The Empress Dowager only eats two solid meals a 
day— luncheon and dinner. These were exactly sim- 
ilar. The dishes, so far as I could see, were identical ; 
but they were so numerous, and of such variety, one 
could make a change of menu by eating different 
dishes. The hours of these two meals were very ir- 
regular; in fact. Her Majesty had no fixed hour for 
anything except rising and attendance at the Audience 
Hall. ^' Early rice," as the Chinese call luncheon, was 
served the Empress Dowager at any time between 
half -past ten and half -past twelve. She was likely to 
order it at any hour after she returned from the Au- 
dience. ^' Late rice," or dinner, was ordered with the 
same irregularity. She was very fond of nuts and 

i88 




PRINCESSES OF THE COURT 



Palace Customs 

fruits, and ate tliem between meals, when she drank 
tea, hot milk, and certain frnit juices. 

The young Empress and Ladies of the Court were 
not bound to these irregular hours. They ordered 
their meals in their own pavilions at the hours they 
wished. Sometimes they had but just finished their 
own meals, when the Empress Dowager would order 
hers, and, when she had finished, invite them to eat at 
her table. Then it would be a matter of etiquette to 
eat with, at least apparent, relish. At this meal at Her 
Majesty's table, her place remained vacant. When I 
was in the Palace and we were invited to eat at her 
table, the Ladies sat; but when I was not there, the 
Ladies stood to eat, if she were still in the building, 
thus observing a very old convention. The Empress 
Dowager was very rigid about the observance of all 
traditional customs, and a stickler for Court etiquette, 
but she was also very considerate of the Ladies. When 
she had eaten, she would leave her Throne-room, or 
would conceal herself behind some screen, so that they 
might sit and eat in peace. I have seen her return to 
the Throne-room while the Ladies were eating, but she 
would do it stealthily, not allowing the eunuchs to 
precede her, so that the Ladies might not be obliged 
to rise on her entrance. 

When the Empress Dowager dined, she sat at the 
head of a long table absolutely groaning under the 
many dishes placed thereon. Huge silver platters 
stood on side tables with sucking-pig, steamed goose, 
whole fowls, etc. Before serving the latter, they were 
brought to her to look at, just as the butler, in Europe, 
shows the pheasant and set dishes to the mistress 



189 



With the Empress Dowager 

of the house. Her dishes were of yellow porcelain, 
with curiously chased silver covers of pyramidal 
shape and quaint design. When she arose to go to 
the table, a eunuch standing near would shout, 
"Remove the covers," the word would be repeated 
along the line of waiting eunuchs, who would spring 
forward and whip off the covers of the many dishes 
on the table as if by magic. At Her Majesty's place 
were two spoons, a saucer and bowl, a pair of chop- 
sticks, and a small folded square of soft cloth, cor- 
responding to our napkin. When she sat down, she 
attached to the front of her dress, by a quaint, golden 
pin, a large silken napkin,— for she was immacu- 
lately neat and had a horror of a spot on her clothes. 
She was an epicure and thoroughly appreciated any 
new dish the Palace cooks sent forth, and, like all 
epicures, she ate very slowly and seemed to enjoy her 
food. She never drank wine or anything else at 
meals. I only saw her drink wine on two occasions, 
when some new vintages had been received at the 
Palace, and then it seemed more to judge of their 
merits, as a connoisseur, than anything else. When 
she finished her meal and left the table, the eunuchs 
brought hot cloths for her hands and a golden 
" rince-bouche." After this, one of the maids would 
bring her a silver basin, soap, and towels, and she 
would indulge in an elaborate hand-washing. 

After "Early rice" came the hour of her siesta. 
She would retire to her bedroom, and her reader, 
bringing several volumes from which to choose, would 
come to read to her. She would remain in her room 
for an hour and a half, whether sleeping or being 

igo 



Palace Customs 

read to. When she awoke, she would make another 
careful toilet, the Ladies would join her, and she 
would go for a long walk before taking '^ Late rice." 

On the first and fifteenth of the month, the Impe- 
rial players were at the Theater. On these days, the 
Emperor, instead of returning to his own Palace, 
would accompany the Empress Dowager and the La- 
dies from the Audience Hall to the Theater. The 
Imperial Hymn was played on Their Majesties' en- 
trance into the court of the Theater, and when they 
had entered the Imperial loge, the players would come 
in a body on the stage and "kow-tow." Then the 
actors, splendidly gowned, w^ould make the customary 
wishes for the Imperial Peace, Prosperity, Longevity, 
after which there would be a posture-play in costume, 
and then the plays for the day would begin. On The- 
ater days Their Majesties would lunch and dine to- 
gether in the Imperial loge. They did not sit at the 
ends of the great table, but at right angles to each 
other— the Emperor at the head of the table, and 
the Empress Dowager at his left. His Majesty was 
not much of an epicure. He ate fast, and apparently 
did not care what it was. When he finished, he 
would stand up near Her Majesty, or walk around 
the Throne-room until she had finished. 

The Empress Dowager was very rigorous in the 
observance of all fasts, as well as feasts, prescribed 
by the rites. On fast-days, no meat nor fish was eaten 
at her table. The meals consisted entirely of vege- 
tables, bread, and rice j but there was always a great 
variety of these dishes, and they were temptingly 
prepared. Meat dishes and fish were always prepared 

191 



With the Empress Dowager 

for me when I was invited to eat at the Imperial table 
on fast-days, until I learned that the Empress Dow- 
ager and the Ladies were fasting, when I asked to eat 
only ^'hat was prepared for them when I dined with 
them at Her Majesty's table. 

On Festivals and Theater days, Princesses of the 
Imperial Family, wives of Manchu Nobles, and high 
Officials were invited to spend the day at the Palace. 
Sometimes their children would accompany them, 
little girls and boys under twelve. I never saw a 
boy over seventeen in the Palace; and only once, 
one sixteen years old. This was a son of Prince 
Ching. When these young people came to the Court, 
they observed the same rules of etiquette as their 
elders, and behaved with great decorum. Her Maj- 
esty is very fond of children, but very particular as 
to their manners. When a little girl did not make a 
graceful bow. Her Majesty would not correct her, but 
would ask the young Empress, an authority on eti- 
quette and very graceful, to bow. Her Majesty would 
then tell the little girl to notice how the Empress 
bowed and try to do it in that manner. The child, or 
her parents, generally followed this suggestion, and 
the grace of the bow was improved on the next visit 
to Court ! 

On one occasion, a lady of high rank, married to a 
kinsman of the Empress Dowager, was invited to the 
Palace with her family. She had two little girls, and 
when the family went up to bow and repeat the salu- 
tation to Her Majesty, the younger daughter, only 
five 3^ears old, refused either to make the bow or re- 
peat the salutation, but sat down on the floor and 

192 



Palace Customs 

cried ! The Empress Dowager waited patiently for 
the mother to correct the little girl, for she is very 
fond of children and disposed to condone their fanlts. 
The little girl would not, however, listen to reason and 
continued to show temper. Her Majesty could not 
allow such a breach of the ^^ Proprieties," even in a 
child of this age, and the high rank of the family of 
the little girl made it the more imperative that she 
should conform to the rules of Propriety and observe 
the etiquette of the Court. When Her Majesty saw 
that all efforts at bringing her to reason were fruit- 
less, she ordered the child to be taken away. Where- 
upon the mother began crying, and begged her not to 
be offended with the little girl. She replied, " Do you 
think a person of superior intelligence could be of- 
fended with a baby ? I send you out of the Palace to 
teach you a lesson, which you must teach your child. 
I do not blame her ; I blame you and pity her ; but 
she must suffer as well as yourself. You must teach 
your child that ' it is by the rules of propriety that the 
character is established ' (Confucius) " ; and she was 
inexorable. The family left the Palace and was not 
invited again for some time. 



1 " Buddha's hand," a very fragrant fniit of the family of lemons, 
which is shaped like a hand, with long, curving fingers. Pyramids of 
this fruit are used for their perfume. 



193 



CHAPTER XXIII 

HER MAJESTY'S ANXIETY — HER BIRTHDAY 

HER Majesty was looking tired and anxious these 
days ; the Audiences were unusually long, and 
despatches were arriving all during the day. She 
would often go to the Gardens immediately after her 
Audience for solitary walks, unattended by the Ladies, 
and when she went out for the walk, accompanied by 
the Empress and Princesses, she would sit distraught 
and abstracted before the finest views and those she 
loved most. She seemed absent-minded, and when 
some eunuch with the official message would kneel 
before her, awaiting her order to deliver his message, 
she would recall herself with an effort. One day when 
we were out, after days of this anxiety, and she was 
sitting alone in front of the ^^ Peony Mountain," the 
Empress and Princesses standing in a group at a lit- 
tle distance, she looked a pathetic figure. Her strong 
face looked tired and worn. Her arms hung listlessly 
by her sides and she seemed almost to have given up, 
and I saw her, furtively, brush a tear away. The 
days were so like each other at the Palace, the Chi- 
nese dates being different from ours, I lost my reckon- 
ing until I had a Tientsin paper, and I saw that the 
date on which the Russians had promised to evacuate 

194 



Her Majesty's Anxiety 

Manchuria had passed and they were making no move 
toward doing so ; and that there were rumors of war 
between Japan and Russia. This, then, must be what 
was weighing upon the mind of the Empress Dowager. 
A few days later a telegram was handed her in the 
Throne-room while she was posing, that seemed to 
greatly agitate her. It was from Kwang Hsi, and 
reported the ineffectual attempts of the authorities to 
put down a serious rebellion there. Thus, there were 
interior as well as exterior troubles to make her anx- 
ious. She seemed to take these State troubles to 
heart ; and it was touching to see her anxiety, which 
she made but little effort to conceal when sur- 
rounded only b}^ the Ladies. The Emperor, on the 
contrary, preserved his usual calm exterior, and if he 
was racked by anxiety, showed no evidence of it. This 
may have been because he had schooled himself to 
hide his feelings. Be that as it may, his face had al- 
ways that enigmatic smile lurking around the corners 
of his mouth. I fancied, though, his eyes looked more 
resigned and sadder than usual. 

The date of the Empress Dowager's Birthday (No- 
vember 16) was approaching, and preparations to cele- 
brate it were beginning. She was determined to keep 
this celebration very simple. She issued edicts pro- 
hibiting the high Officials and Viceroys from sending 
the extravagant presents which always pour in at the 
celebration of the birthday of any one of her age in 
China. She recommended great economy in expendi- 
tures for the celebration, saying it would be improper 
and unworthy at this time of National distress, when 
the Foreign Indemnity was not yet paid, to make a 

195 



With the Empress Dowager 

large outlay for her Birthday. The celebration of a 
birthday in China is a great event, almost a religious 
ceremony, and is observed with great rejoicings by 
all classes. The poorest in the land, if they are not 
able to keep any other festival, always celebrate with 
as much pomp as possible the birthdays of their pa- 
rents. This is one of the duties enjoined by the Book 
of Rites, and, in spite of Her Majesty's expressed 
wishes on the subject, the Emperor could not allow 
her Birthday to pass without a fitting celebration. 

The Emperor beseeched Her Majesty " on bended 
knee " to allow him to have her Birthday celebrated 
with the same pomp as usual— to permit him to add 
another honorific title to the sixteen she already pos- 
sessed—but though she was very proud of her titles, 
which the Ministers and Emperor had conferred upon 
her at different times, she was inexorable on this point, 
for the adding of a new title would necessitate an'an- 
nual grant of twelve thousand dollars in gold. She 
also insisted that everything must be on a smaller 
scale than usual. She was, one could well see, in no 
happy frame of mind. There was none of the enthu- 
siasm she had shown over the preparations for the Em- 
peror's Birthday. Then she was in gay good humor. 
She then evidently fully believed that things were go- 
ing well for the State, that China would soon obtain 
her full rights in Manchuria again ; then everything 
seemed brighter for the Nation's outlook than now. 
It was her duty, however, to go through these Birth- 
day celebrations, which, curtail as she would, must, 
nevertheless, be very elaborate, owing to her age as 
well as to her high rank. The Empress Dowager's 

196 



Her Majesty's Birthday 

wishes as to the adding of a new title were observed, 
and it was not conferred, but the preparations for the 
Birthday went on, on a magnificent scale. Presents 
came pouring into the Palace, and even more elabo- 
rate festive decorations than those used for the Em- 
peror's Birthday were being put in place. 

Her Majesty was to receive the prostrations of the 
Emperor and Empress,^ Princesses, and members of 
the Imperial Family, on a Throne in the Palace, that 
was built half-way up the terraced hill crowned by 
the Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas. She did not 
receive these prostrations in the Great Audience Hall : 
this was set aside, by tradition, for the Emperor, alone. 
Had she been reigning for him, she would have received 
them there, but as she was reigning with him, she re- 
ceived them in the other Palace. The elevation of this 
Palace permitted all who were allowed to enter the 
Precincts to offer their congratulations, to get a 
glimpse of Her Majesty. As the weather was getting 
cold, the marble steps leading up to this Palace, the 
courts, and even a large part of the terrace over the 
lake, were covered with carpets of gala red. 

The congratulations and prostrations were to begin 
at 2 A.M., the hour of her birth. There were three pairs 
of huge silver candelabra standing at either side of the 
Throne to hold the enormous wax candles of Imperial 
yeUow, entwined with golden dragons, which weighed 
fifty pounds each. They stood five feet high. Lanterns 
with the ever-present character " Sho " and others in- 
scribed " Wan-Sho-Wu-Chiang" (no limit to Imperial 
longevity) stood on each step of the long flight leading 
up to the Palace. The whole terrace below, all the 

197 



With the Empress Dowager 

temples and buildings in the grounds, were brilliantly 
illuminated with splendid lanterns, elaborately orna- 
mented with tassels of red silk, with the characters 
for longevity emblazoned thereon in vermilion. 

With the few changes necessitated by the different 
season of the year of the Empress Dowager's Birth- 
day, everything was carried out as for the Emperor's 
except on a larger scale, as she was celebrating more 
years than His Majesty. The Palace was filled to over- 
flowing with the many ladies invited to be present. 
Some came from the heart of distant Manchuria, the 
cradle of the Dynasty. The winter Court dress of the 
ladies, worn for Her Majesty's Birthday, was of satin, 
lined and trimmed with fur, with sable collars. Like 
the summer Court dress, the winter gown was elabo- 
rately embroidered in the golden double dragon. The 
picturesque summer coiffure had also been replaced 
by winter hats of fur with jewels across the front 
and an elaborate crown, studded with precious stones. 
Brilhant bunches of flowers w^ere worn on either side 
of the coiffure, in winter as in summer. 

The celebration of birthday festivities in China is 
always accompanied by rites and worship of the an- 
cestral tablets, and Her Majesty was obliged to go into 
Peking several times during the celebration. The cere- 
monies, themselves, were also very tiring. All this 
effort to keep up, and to properly carry out her part 
of the ceremonies, added to her real anxiety, made the 
forced celebration of her sixty-ninth Birthday far 
from a happy event to the Empress Dowager of China, 
who found the Empire she was trying to guide, in so 
perilous a position— war threatening on its confines, 

198 



Her Majesty's Birthday 

foreign complications of all kinds to deal with, and 
rebellion within. 



1 It has been said by foreigners, that Her Majesty the Empress 
Dowager obliges the Emperor and Empress to make the prostrations 
before her on her Birthday as an indignity to them and to show her 
authority. The truth is, that every son in China kneels before his 
parents on their birthdays, and should the Emperor fail to do so, the 
whole of China would be horrified and cry out against his unfilial con- 
duct. Her Majesty is not only the wife of his uncle, the Emperor 
Hsien-Feng, but the sister of his mother, and, more than all else, the 
Empress Dowager is the Emperor's adopted mother. The duties of 
an adopted child to his adopted parents are the same, in China, as to 
his own parents. In the Viceroy Chang-Chih-Tung's famous ode to 
the Emperor, he speaks of this filial piety as one of the Emperor's 
greatest qualities: "Who does not admire the filial reverence and 
piety with which he waits upon his august mother? Setting a brilliant 
example to all, he inquires early and late after her well-being and 
watches over her meals in person. Let us now add a new ode, extolling 
to the skies our Emperor's fidelity to his Imperial mother." 



99 



CHAPTER XXIV 

THE WINTER PALACE 

THE Summer Palace was always the Empress 
Dowager's favorite Palace, but after the Boxer 
rising and the subsequent occupation of Peking by 
the Allies, when foreign troops were stationed in both 
the Peking Palaces, and so much damage done them, 
she would have preferred to have lived the whole 
year round at the Summer Palace. As it is, she oc- 
cupies it from eight to nine months of the year, going 
out to it at the first opportunity in the spring, and 
leaving it only when it is so cold as to make it im- 
practicable. There is a system of heating it by 
furnaces beneath the floors, but Her Majesty never 
used these, and the small Chinese porcelain stoves, 
sorts of braziers, were quite insufficient for heating 
the immense halls. This, however, would not have 
influenced her, as she never minded the cold, but it 
was very difficult for the officials to take the long 
trip to the Summer Palace during the winter, and 
this consideration alone caused her to move into 
the Winter Palace when the weather became very 
cold. The members of the Cabinet and the Princes 
had summer homes in the immediate vicinity of the 
Palace, but there were thousands of officials who were 
obliged to come out every day from Peking. 

200 



The Winter Palace 

The time had now come for the Court to move in 
definitively to the Winter Palace, and shortly after 
the Birthday festivities, Their Majesties took up their 
residence in the Capital. Before I left the Summer 
Palace, the young Empress suggested that I should 
go to the Winter Palace the next day in time to assist 
in receiving Her Majesty on her arrival there, for, as 
usual, I left the Summer Palace the day before the 
Court, and went in to the United States Legation. 
At every change of residence of the Empress Dow- 
ager, the young Empress, Princesses, and Ladies of 
the Court precede her by a few hours, and stand upon 
the threshold of her own dwelling Palace to receive 
her when she arrives. Full Court dress is worn for 
this reception, and it is, as is everything touching Her 
Majesty, a ceremony ! 

The day of the Empress Dowager's entrance into 
her loyal City of Peking for the winter, in December, 
1903, was a typical Peking winter day ; the air was 
crisp and clear, the atmosphere positively sparkling, 
and like champagne. One seemed to breathe an elixir. 
For her ^^progresses'' from one Palace to another the 
Empress Dowager always had, what they call in Eng- 
land, ^' Queen's weather." 

The City of Peking is composed of three walled 
towns— the Chinese, the Tartar, and the Imperial City. 
Within the Imperial City lies the Winter Palace, its 
battlemented, turreted walls surrounded by a moat. 
After passing through one of the great gates, in the 
wall surrounding the Imperial City, and crossing the 
stone bridge that spans ^' the Grain-bearing Canal," 
we soon came in sight of the splendid walls a,nd lofty 

20I 



With the Empress Dowager 

gates of the Palace inclosure. The red outer walls 
of the Palace, faded by Time and weather to a charm- 
ing gray-pink, with their beautiful corner construc- 
tions of airy-looking turrets reflected in the still 
waters of the moat beneath, were most picturesque. 
We were carried along the raised road beyond the 
moat until we came to a marble bridge (formerly a 
portcullis), that leads into the gate of the Palace in 
front of the Manchu Banner quarters, at the foot of 
the Coal Hill. Our chairs, by special arrangement, 
were allowed to enter the inclosure proper, of the 
Winter Palace ; but even after entering the exterior 
gates, one winds in and out between high walls, 
through massive gates and heavy wooden doors 
studded with huge iron nails and ornamental copper 
balls. Against the high wall on either side of this 
approach, wooden sheds were built as sleeping-places 
for the guards and soldiers. Each shed had a front 
of lattice-work, with paper pasted over the interstices. 
Within was a cemented platform, which the Northern 
Chinese use as beds. These have a place underneath 
for building a fire, for they keep warm at night by 
sleeping on hot beds and use very little cover. 

Just beyond the last of these guard-houses, our 
official '^ green chairs " were put down between two 
high walls, with forbidding gates in front of us. 
Here we took the red Palace chairs which were await- 
ing us. We were swiftly carried through still other 
gates and past a very labyrinth of walls. The courts 
were all paved in large flagstones of white marble, 
and surrounded by high walls with heavy doors. We 
finally reached a charming court, where, standing un- 

202 



The Winter Palace 

der the overhanging branches of a beautiful cedar, 
we found the j^oung Empress and Princesses, in full 
Court dress, already awaiting the coming of Her 
Majesty. It was a pretty group that stood there, 
gowned in their splendid Court costumes, the sunlight 
glinting upon the jeweled crowns of their fur caps, 
and giving a touch of nature to the brilliant flowers 
in their hair. My plain, foreign, tailor-made gown 
was the only dark spot in this bright group of 
gorgeously attired ladies. 

Presently the cymbals and flutes sounded the weird 
notes of the '^ Imperial Hymn." The great w^ooden 
doors of the court were thrown open and the Imperial 
procession came in sight. Splendidly gowned eunuchs 
advanced in two lines, walking with rigid bodies and 
stately step. At a sign from the young Empress, a 
hush fell upon the chattering group of Princesses and 
each took her proper place. Then the Imperial chair- 
bearers crossed the threshold, with Her Majesty sit- 
ting erect in one of her '' open chairs," for as soon 
as she gets into the Palace grounds she leaves the 
closed palanquin, in which she is obliged to travel 
abroad and which she very much dislikes on account of 
its stuffiness. The Ladies, as if moved by one impulse, 
made the formal bow at her approach, and repeated 
the usual Imperial salutation " Lao-tzu-tzung-chee 
siang," which I repeated with the others. Her Maj- 
esty had her chair stopped in the center of the Court 
and got out, and I went up to salute her. She shook 
hands, and said she hoped I v/ould be happy in the 
Winter Palace, but that it was a dull, depressing sort 
of a place, with too many walls and gates, after the 

203 



With the Empress Dowager 

open brightness of the Summer Palace. After a few 
minutes' conversation she went into the Throne-room, 
followed by the Empress and Ladies. 

Her Majesty's Throne-room at the Winter Palace 
fronted on a court which was surrounded by well- 
built walls with curiously shaped doors and win- 
dows and ornamental yellow and green tiled designs 
at intervals. In the center of the wall in front was 
the immense gateway, with wooden folding-doors, 
which had just opened for her passage. The verandah 
of the Throne-room had two rooms projecting upon 
it, making of it a rectangular space with walls 
around three of its sides. This verandah was quite 
different from any at the Summer Palace, where 
they run the whole length of the buildings, back and 
front. 

Entering, I was struck by the beauty of the great 
central hall— the harmony of its proportions, the som- 
ber splendor of its color. It seemed to me the most sat- 
isfjdng, the most picturesque of aU the restful, harmo- 
nious Chinese interiors I had seen. Its dull red walls, 
splendid coffered ceiling glowing in color and glint- 
ing in gold, its central dome, with elaborately carved 
pendatives, was painted in brilliant primary colors, 
subdued into a rich harmony by the demi-obscurity, 
for it had no ^^ lantern " and received its light from the 
windows below. 

The curious feature of the domes in several of the 
palaces in the Violet City, so effective from within, 
giving elevation and space to the interiors, is that they 
are not visible from the outside of the edifice. The 
beautiful straight line of the roof, with its upturned 

204 





^f'^^-'-'m^j^ 



w 



«l-i^-''''*''^j2g.*' A 



»*5fn*?^:iK«5r' 



^ 
r--!^ 

^5^^:^^.:^ 



The Winter Palace 

corners, remains intact in its purity and retains its 
restful simplicity. 

The hall was paved with great blocks of highly 
polished black marble, which dimly reflected the glow- 
ing splendor of the walls and ceiling. In the center 
of one side was a low dais, richly carpeted, on which 
stood a great antique throne and footstool of red 
lacquer, framed in ebony and inlaid with cloisonne— 
the three-leaved screen behind was of bronze, with 
landscapes in low relief. On each leaf a poem in 
golden characters gave the needed touch of brilliancy 
to the somber massiveness of the dull bronze. 

Great wooden doors, with huge gilded dragons in 
high relief, opened into apartments on the right and 
left of this splendid hall. These portals were always 
thrown wide, and heavily padded satin portieres hung 
from the lintels. The front and rear of the hall was 
almost entirely of glass, with the pillars that supported 
the roof standing clear between the windows— the 
lower half of plate glass, the upper, of transparent 
Corean paper. 

The apartments to the right, where, at a sign from 
Her Majesty, I followed the Ladies, were her day- 
rooms. Her sitting-room, projecting on the veran- 
dah, brilliantly lighted by two sides of windows, 
was in dazzling contrast to the somber splendor of the 
Throne-room. The sun pouring through the windows, 
the gay flowers and growing plants, the fruits piled 
high in great painted bowls, the divans, beneath the 
windows, with satin cushions, the touches of femi- 
ninity, the subtle perfume, even the small shrine to 
Buddha— everything bespoke the characteristics of 

205 



With the Empress Dowager 

its august mistress, who, in her hours of ease, loved 
sunshine and flowers, and reveled in beauty and per- 
iume. 

On entering, Her Majesty approached the small 
shrine, lighted three slender tapers of fragrant 
incense, and placed them upright in the perfumed 
ashes of the golden censer at the feet of Buddha. 
She rearranged the offerings, placed a picture of the 
Mother of Buddha behind the Image, and then stood 
in reverent attitude a few seconds before turning to 
her waiting tirewomen to have her outer garments 
removed. 

As I had now learned that my interest in her sur- 
roundings pleased her, I looked around the room. It 
was as lofty as the Great Throne-room, but the rear 
wall was divided into two stories, and a hidden stair- 
way led to the upper rooms. In an alcove, under 
the second floor, was built the bed where she took her 
siesta in the afternoon, screened from the sitting- 
room by beautifully embroidered satin curtains. The 
waUs of carved teakwood had a rare frieze of panels 
of flying birds and bats in mother-of-pearl. There 
were scrolls bearing quotations from the classics; 
and, of course, many beautiful and curious clocks 
adorned the dragon tables, the window-seats, and 
carved chests ! 

In prominent places, each flanked by good-luck 
pennants, hung two steel-engravings : the first repre- 
senting Queen Victoria in regal array ; the second, the 
Queen and Prince Consort, surrounded by their chil- 
dren and grandchildren. I was surprised to see them 
here in Her Majesty's li\ing-room, though I had heard 

206 



The Winter Palace 

that the Empress Dowager had a great admiration 
for the Queen, and that she thought there were many 
points of similarity in their reigns. They had each been 
widows the greater part of their lives, and had each 
ruled over great empires. She said she noticed in the 
Queen's face the same lines of longevity that she, her- 
self, had. She probably dreams of as long a life as 
the great Queen of England had. 

The Empress Dowager was astonished that I had 
seen so many members of the English Royal family, 
and the Queen herself, when I had never had an 
'^ Audience," and was still more so when she learned 
that the Great English Empress took her daily prom- 
enade outside her Palace Walls in "an open chair,'' 
and could be seen by any one who happened to pass 
that way. 

Her Majesty told me I might go up the hidden 
stairway, leading from her bed-alcove to the floor 
above, where was her private chapel. Here, on special 
occasions, services were held by lama priests. It 
was a beautiful haven, in whose dim, religious light 
one might meditate or pray. 

Its high altar, with a great golden Buddha of fine 
design, had tall, golden candlesticks, shining with 
pearls and rubies. Richly wrought and enameled 
vases held bouquets of jeweled flowers, and censers, 
damascened with gold, sent up spirals of perfumed 
smoke. The floor was covered with a splendid silken 
rug of Imperial yeUow, and small, exquisitely exe- 
cuted, paintings of the saints and personified attri- 
butes formed a dado around the walls. 

Curiously shaped windows, with bits of translucent 

207 



With the Empress Dowager 

shell set into the elaborate lattice-work, shed but a 
dim light, and out of mysterious depths shone the 
splendid jewels of the altar ornaments, the dull gold 
of the Great Buddha, and the gleaming dado of red- 
and-gold clothed saints ! This was Her Majesty's 
favorite chapel. She had followed me up and showed it 
with pride. She appreciated its perfect artistic quality 
as much, I am sure, as she loved its religious element. 

Here she could come, from the privacy of her bed- 
alcove, mount the hidden stairs when she willed, un- 
noticed and unattended, and here seek that peace which 
seemed so far away those troubled days of January, 
1904, when all looked so dark for her country. 

Her Majesty's Throne-room is in the first of 
three large halls in the northeastern corner of the in- 
closure, which, with their courts, extend to the exte- 
rior walls of the Palace. The buildings are raised about 
eight feet above the marble-paved court and are ap- 
proached by handsome, white marble steps. Leading 
up to the second, for the first time I saw a '^ spirit- 
stairway " used in secular architecture. This ^' spirit- 
stairway " consists of a block of marble placed in the 
center and reaching from the top to the bottom of the 
stairway. This block, instead of being cut into steps, 
is elaborately carved with the double dragon. It lies in 
the middle of the stairway like a beautiful heavy carpet 
thrown over it, too stiff to take the form of steps. 
The ^' spirit-stairway," not to b« touched by mortal 
feet, is used in the approaches to all the fine temples ; 
and when, as in the case of the Temple of Heaven at 
Peking, the stairs are high, the effect is as beautiful 
as it is original and unique. 

208 



The Winter Palace 

The hall with the ^'spirit-stairway" is the handsomest 
of the three in the Empress Dowager's inclosure. Its 
interior, a height of fifty feet, has a splendid coffered 
ceihngj and its walls are of wonderfully carved 
wood, with cloisonne medallions, which give great 
richness and splendor. A balcony surrounds this 
lofty hall, with openings from it into rooms over the 
side apartments, which are of but the usual height. 
This great front hall, with a dais and throne, screen 
and ceremonial fans, showed it was for more formal 
receptions than the beautiful domed room we had 
first entered. Opposite the Throne dais stood a '' cis- 
tern" of splendidly carved jade to hold water for 
cooling the temperature in summer. A handsome 
music-box, which had been sent as a present to the 
Dowager Empress by Queen Victoria, and several other 
presents from European Royalties, stood around. The 
apartments on the right were for His Majesty's use 
when he came to the Theater, which was near. On 
the left were Her Majesty's night apartments. Two 
doors led through the openwork screen which sepa- 
rated the hall from the entrance at the rear. Here 
there was another magnificent block of jade, about 
five feet high, elaborately carved in designs repre- 
senting the manner in which the jade is mined and 
taken from its native mountains. 

From the central hall, a raised marble platform led 
into the third of the buildings. Here, again, the cen- 
tral hall occupied the entire height, while the sides 
were divided into two stories. This was one of the Em- 
peror's Throne-rooms, and he had graciousty given it 
for my use while painting the Empress Dowager^s por- 

209 



With the Empress Dowager 

traits. I had been told I was to have a '' magnificent place 
for working " in the Winter Palace, and so far as mag- 
nificence went, I had it here. But, lofty and spacious as 
the hall was, it was very dark, and there was also a 
disagreeable reflection from the shining, yellow-tiled 
roof of the Palace in front. The court was very small, 
and the reflection from the roof was consequently 
unavoidable. My heart fell. It was a dreadful dis- 
appointment to find that my " studio," to which I had 
so looked forward, was so unsatisfactory as to light ! 
The Empress Dowager's quarters at the Winter 
Palace are separated by high walls and guarded 
gates from the Emperor's. The pavilions of the Em- 
peror's inclosure are on a more magnificent scale even 
than those of the Empress Dowager. The Audience 
Hall of the Winter Palace is in the Emperor's inclo- 
sure. In Her Majesty's inclosure, there is a Theater, 
but the Imperial " loge " is small, indeed, when com- 
pared with the splendid hall at the Summer Palace. 
Tradition seemed to be more rigidly observed here 
than at the Summer Palace, and everything seemed 
to be referred to the Emperor ; whereas Her Majesty 
seemed to be the first figure at the Summer Palace, and 
there, traditional laws were often in abeyance. 



2 lO 



CHAPTER XXV 

PEKINQ— BEGINNING THE PORTRAIT FOR ST. LOUIS 

THE Legation quarter of Peking lies in the Tartar 
City, just under the walls of the Imperial City. 
The United States Legation, in 1904, occupied a Chi- 
nese Temple on the canal, at the left of the '^ Water 
Gate," the opening of which was exacted by the Allies 
in 1900. Before this time, there was no gate between 
the Chien-Men and the Hata-Men. 

It was a picturesque jaunt in the early morning that 
I had from the United States Legation to the Palace. 
My cart rattled down the road, running parallel to the 
canal, past the splendid inclosure of the English Le- 
gation to the " Glacis," and across the Marble Bridge, 
that traverses it, to the narrow street under the great 
red walls of the Imperial City. The walls all over China 
are wonderful feats of architecture, the culminating 
point of the science of the Chinese builder. The 
"Great Wall," long counted one of the wonders of 
the world, is one of many in China, and only remark 
able on account of its size and great length. Nearly 
every town and city in China has massive, well-con- 
structed walls, which, with their splendid gate-towers, 
make them really remarkable works of architecture. 
Even the palaces and parks of the rich have fine walls, 

2 11 



With the Empress Dowager 

tlie monotony of their line varied by the turreted 
summer-houses which surmount their angles. These 
walls, quite overtopping the cities and houses they 
inclose, with their watch-towers permitting their de- 
fenders to see at great distances, must, in medieval 
times, have been a splendid protection against the 
attacks of enemies or the inroads of barbarians. 

The main thoroughfares of the Tartar City are very 
wide, with a raised causeway, about two feet high, in 
the center. When Their Majesties go abroad, this is 
covered mth yellow sand and is used as an Imperial 
roadway. Ordinarily any cart or chair, irrespective 
of the rank of the occupant, may use it. It is always 
kept in excellent condition, and seems to be a survival 
of the raised roads that Marco Polo speaks of in de- 
scribing the grounds of the Palace of Kublai-Kahn. 
The lower roads on either side of this raised causeway 
are generally in a lamentable state. Itinerant cooks 
ply their odorous trade of frying grease-balls, etc. ; 
barbers shave their clients and act as manicures and 
chiropodists, in full view of the passer-by ; venders of 
old iron, clothes, vegetables, etc., spread out their 
wares in the middle of the road, in reckless disregard 
of the wandering fowls, dogs, and even pigs, which 
roam about. Pools of stagnant water and piles of 
refuse add their quota to the malodorous confusion. 
Still the streets are not unpicturesque. The elabo- 
rately carved fronts of the shops, the graceful signs, 
with their red pennants, the gaily colored lanterns 
swinging to and fro, the great umbrellas unfurled 
here and there over the itinerant venders, all have a 
certain sort of charm. 

2 12 



Pekin 



g 



After entering the gate of the Imperial City, the 
roads are gay with carts, official chairs, and hand- 
somely caparisoned horses. We sometimes met at- 
taches of the " Wai-Wu-Pu " and different Yamens 
hurrying to and fro with despatches, or caught a 
glimpse, in the depths of his green chair, of one of 
the great ministers, the thin white-bearded face of 
Prince Ching, or the heavy Jewish-looking physiog- 
nomy of Na-Tung, the new minister, who seems likely 
to grow in favor. Sometimes we passed a bridal 
procession, with its gay, red-embroidered chairs, or 
some splendid funeral, with the great red catafalque, 
covered with magnificent embroideries (for red is used 
alike for wedding chairs and for funeral decorations)— 
its massive, long poles held by hundreds of red-gowned 
bearers and accompanied by the motley crew of figu- 
rants, who are always hired for funeral celebrations 
in China; the catafalque, followed by white-covered 
carts, carrying the mour;Qing white-garbed women of 
the family. Sometimes we passed a crowd of yellow- 
gowned lama priests and monks returning from some 
celebration in the Palace— sometimes, great droves of 
camels laden with coal from the mountains or prod- 
uce from afar. During the annual visit of the Mon- 
golian Princes to Peking we met them with their fur- 
dressed and leather-booted followers, their quaintly 
caparisoned horses, and splendidly bedecked camels, 
for they were domiciled in Palaces, within the Impe- 
rial City. 

All this we could see as we went on our way to the 
Great Gate of the Palace, itself. Within the walls 
and at the gate of the Empress Dowager's Palace, with 

213 



With the Empress Dowager 

the usual Chinese tolerance, the consideration of the 
great for the poor, beggars are allowed to come at cer- 
tain times each day, to receive remnants from the 
Imperial kitchen. The poor are also permitted to 
examine the garbage of the Palace, before it is 
carted away. There was always a motley crew of 
ragged beggars around this gate, who received, appar- 
ently, kind consideration from the soldiers and guards. 
At least, they were allowed to ply their trade and to 
follow their avocations in peace. 

I found the light, in the magnificent haU which 
had now become my studio, so obscure, even in front 
of the great plate-glass doors, that it was almost use- 
less to attempt to work. After trying to do so for 
two or three days, I told the head eunuch it was im- 
possible. I did not wish to trouble Her Majesty 
with my annoyances, for she had enough of her own 
cares, and seemed to grow daily more and more anx- 
ious and depressed over the constantly growing ru- 
mors of war in Manchuria ; but it was impossible to 
work longer where I was, and I decided I would have 
one of the ends of the hall, which projected beyond the 
overhanging eaves of the verandah, fitted up for my 
work, and in order to have sufficient light, even here, it 
was necessary to have the upper paper windows re- 
placed by plate glass. The eunuchs demurred. They 
said this would necessitate great changes, with heavy 
expense, besides establishing a precedent, as no other 
part of the Palace had plate-glass windows at the top ! 
The next time the Empress Dowager came in, I told her 
it was impossible to Y>^ork as it was. She, herself, 
remarked how dark it was, and noticed the reflection 

2 14 



Beginning the Portrait for St. Louis 

from the yellow roof opposite. And when she heard 
what I wished, she ordered it to be done at once, say- 
ing she would " speak to the Emperor" about it. An 
order of Her Majesty's was always promptly carried 
out, and two days after, to my astonishment, the plate- 
glass windows were placed as I wished. I had the 
divan that was built under the windows removed, 
and all the furniture taken out of this end of the 
hall. The eunuchs hesitated about removing an im- 
mense elephant clock of wonderful mechanism, as 
it had not been moved for a hundred and fifty 
years, but I finally accomplished even this ! Even 
without the furniture, this end of the hall was but a 
small space in which to work ; but I had a fairly good 
light, and a quiet place to paint in, for the first time 
since I began painting the Empress Dowager. Here I 
was sufficiently far away from Her Majesty's apart- 
ments, as well as from those of the Princesses and 
Ladies, to be able to work in quiet, without interrup- 
tions. A set of European furniture had been placed in 
the great hall, when it was decided to give it to me, and 
though this did not please me, in an artistic sense, it 
being absolutely out of keeping with its environment, 
I found the well-cushioned easy-chairs a real comfort 
when I wanted to rest. 

As soon as I was comfortably settled in my new 
studio, the Empress Dowager began to talk of having 
another large portrait begun— large enough to repre- 
sent her with all the paraphernalia of Royalty (the 
ceremonial fans, the three-fold screen, the nine phenix, 
plants of heavenly bamboo) and pyramids of apples- 
all emblematic, or symbolic. I told Her Majesty it 

215 



With the Empress Dowager 

would be best to make a small study for tbis picture, 
and tbat tbe size of tbe portrait could be determined 
on after tbis was finisbed. Sbe readily assented, 
and I began tbe small study. Tbere were a number 
of beautiful tbrones in the Palace, any one of wbicb 
would bave suited tbe lines of tbe composition. I 
selected one of tbe superb, antique tbrones of red 
lacquer, a magnificent work of art, but tbe Empress 
Dowager did not care for tbis tbrone. It was not a 
matter of wbetber tbe bnes or color suited tbe 
picture, tbe point was to bave everytbing ^'Ho-sbib" 
(proper), as tbe Cbinese say. Witb tbe Chinese, pro- 
priety is a rebgion, and a thing that is '^proper" 
must conform to tradition, for tradition and propriety 
are synonymous. The question of tbe throne was 
left in abeyance for the moment, as Her Majesty said 
there was one sbe would like to bave painted, wbicb 
sbe would bave found before I began the big 
picture. 

I finally began tbe sketch. Her Majesty was dressed 
in one of her official winter gowns. Its fur lining 
rendered tbe already heavily embroidered satin stiffer 
than ever, and any stray folds that might perchance 
have appeared, were puUed out by a heavy fringe 
of pearls around the hem. She had on her famous 
pearl mantle over an official jacket. In her coiffure 
she wore her long tassel of pearls, and many curious 
ceremonial jewels. She had on fur-lined under- 
sleeves, which hid half her beautiful bands. The 
effect of her tiny finger-tips, with their long curving 
nails and jeweled shields, the palms not being visible, 
was most unfortunate. Added to this, she held them 

2 l6 



A 












■y / 



PRINCE CHING 



Beginning the Portrait for St. Louis 

tightly together in her lap, and the lines were obscured 
by a large, pale-blue handkerchief in one hand. 

My heart fell. Thus I would lose one of her 
chief beauties. I begged Lady Yu-Keng to ask her 
to pose her hands differently. She said she could 
not do such a thing ; so, in my inelegant Chinese, 
I told Her Majesty I did not like her hands as they 
were. ^^But I like them like that," she said, looking 
at me with a charming expression of amused astonish- 
ment, amazed that it was possible for any one not to 
like what she liked ; and she kept her hands as they 
were, and I was obliged to begin the picture with the 
hands in that position. 

The first sketch was quickly made, and Her Majesty 
expressed herself as pleased with it. Then came the 
discussion as to the size of the portrait. I made my 
measurements, and thought five feet by eight was 
large enough, but when she saw what size it was 
going to be, she thought six feet by ten would be 
better. The Palace carpenters were accordingly 
called in, and I gave them as accurate directions as 
I could, for making a stretcher. The Chinese work- 
men are clever, patient, and apt at carrying out sug- 
gestions, and the stretcher was satisfactorily made. 
But the canvas was to be put on this stretcher, and 
this they seemed to have no idea of, so I was obliged 
to try to do it myseK. Owing to the size of the 
canvas, I was compelled to stand on a stool six feet 
high (they had no ladders), with the huge stretcher 
before me. An army of eunuchs stood around to 
assist me, presided over by a head eunuch. I used 
the iron pincers and pulled the canvas, myself. It 

217 



With the Empress Dowager 

was held at the corners by eunuchs, also on stools 5 
one eunuch held the tacks, another the hammer, etc. 
Each order I gave was repeated in a loud voice by 
the head eunuch, and at every failure to comprehend 
my directions, the working eunuchs were rebuked and 
threatened with the ^'bamboo." Finally, I accom- 
plished the difficult task, and the great canvas was 
stretched. Her Majesty was greatly exercised when 
she learned I had done it myself. She said that I 
should have made the eunuchs '' stretch four or five," 
until they learned to do one properly. But I had n't 
sufficient canvas for such experiments, and could get 
no more in China. 



218 



CHAPTER XXVI 

SOME SOCIAL CUSTOMS— MANCHU AND CHINESE 

I MET the wives and families of all the Princes, no- 
bles, and high Manchu officials in Peking, for they 
came to the Court at stated intervals, besides on many 
special occasions, when they were invited by Her Maj- 
esty. The most frequent of these visitors to the Pal- 
ace were Prince Ching's wives and daughters, the 
wives of the Emperor's brothers, his father's second- 
ary wives and their daughters, and the sisters of the 
young Empress, one of whom is the clever Princess 
Schun. The widow of the Grand Secretary Yung Lu, 
who lost, in one year, her husband and a promising 
son, and who was nearly crazed by grief, also came 
often. She was not very brilliant, nor the kind of 
woman to appeal to Her Majesty ; but her grief seemed 
to touch the Empress Dowager, and she received special 
marks of favor when in the Palace, and came and went 
as she willed. A step-daughter, whom she had herself 
brought up through a very delicate childhood, was the 
wife of the Emperor's brother, Prince Chun. Should 
they have a son he will probably be the next heir to 
the Throne. 

On their marriage the brides of nobles of a certain 
rank go to the Palace to be presented to the Empress 

219 



With the Empress Dowager 

Dowager. This ceremony corresponds to the presenta « 
tion, on their marriage^ of ladies at the English Court, 
These brides are always magnificently dressed in em- 
broidered gowns of rich colors^ and wear, for the first 
time, the Court coiffui-e of the married ladies, the mag- 
nificent golden filigree, jeweled construction, which I 
have already described, and for this occasion they wear 
a profusion of jewels. The Manchu ladies use much 
more discretion in wearing jewels than the Chinese 
ladies. The latter will sometimes wear as many as fif- 
teen bracelets on each arm, and the number of jewels 
they put in their coiffure seems to be limited only by 
the space they have at their disposal. 

The brides come to the Palace in red satin bridal 
chairs, accompanied by their husband's mother and his 
married sisters, if he has any ; if not, by his nearest 
women relations. On their arrival in the Precincts 
they first go to the Throne-room and make their bows 
and prostrations before the Empress Dowager, to thank 
her for the gifts she has sent. Sometimes Her Majesty 
would speak to them at some length, seeming to give 
them advice. After making their obeisances to her, 
they then make theii* salutations to the young Em- 
press. They spend the day at the Palace, take 
luncheon with the young Empress and Princesses, and 
leave about three o'clock. These brides were gener- 
ally very young girls, though sometimes I was sur- 
prised to see that they had well passed the first bloom 
of youth, for I had thought that all Oriental women 
were married very young. The young Empress was 
always charming to the brides, and seemed to watch 
over their pleasure, and try to make them enjoy this 

220 



Some Social Customs 

rather trying day, when they were the observed of all 
observers. Among these brides, the winter I was in 
Peking, was the wife of the Emperor's youngest 
brother, a charming young girl with sweet manners, 
far more attractive in every way than Yung Lu's 
daughter, the wife of Prince Chun. 

The Chinese look upon a daughter, at her birth, as 
a misfortune, one of the ills that must be endured, 
and while loving her individually, a daughter is not 
welcomed into the family nor allowed the privileges 
of a son. It is, however, quite different with the 
Manchus. A daughter not being able to sacrifice to 
the ancestors, even Manchus prefer a son; but a 
daughter is a welcome member of the family, and she 
has a distinct and independent position of her own. 
One of the Chinese ministers to Washington once 
told me that the only unmarried woman in the world 
whose position is analogous to that of the '^ American 
Girl," in her own family, is the Manchu girl. 

As long as the Manchu girl remains unmarried, she 
is a veritable power in the household. She ranks as 
high as her brother, and always takes precedence of 
her brother's wife, even if that wife be double her age 
and married before she was born. She precedes her 
mother even, as she is of the Blood and her mother 
of " another family." Not only has she these social 
privileges, but she has well-defined legal rights. Her 
father cannot make a disposition of his property 
without his eldest daughter's consent. She can go 
into her brother's house, dismiss his servants, and 
generally direct his affairs. Her word has more weight 
as to the bringing up of her brother's children than 

22 1 



With the Empress Dowager 

his wife's, as she is a sister, a born relation, and the 
wife is only an acquired relation. When she marries, 
however, she becomes a member of the family into 
which she marries ; but even then, such is the ascen- 
dancy of the girl in the Manchu family, even after her 
marriage into another family, she often goes on dictat- 
ing to her brother's family and her own as before, if 
she does not find her own household duties and her 
own family sufficient occupation to keep her from do- 
ing so. Such is the force of consanguinity among the 
Manchus, and the position of the daughter in the 
family. 

The unmarried Manchu girl has not only this liberty 
in her family, but she has more liberty in the outside 
world than any other Oriental woman. 

They are not so restricted in their social intercourse 
as any other Oriental women, and while they are not 
so literary as the Chinese, they have more social quali- 
ties and are brighter conversationalists, being both 
witty and gay. 

They are not forced to marry against their inclina- 
tions and some remain single to the end of their days, 
or marry late in life if they so desire. These unmar- 
ried ladies are not only looked up to by their own 
families, but they are not regarded as being objects 
of commiseration by the world at large. On the 
contrary, they are rewarded with triumphal arches and 
splendid monuments if they have passed a long and 
exemplary life of maidenhood. Although the brides 
that came into the Palace were generally young, one 
who came to make her bow to the Empress Dowager, 
while I was there, was a lady of forty-two summers. 

222 



Some Social Customs 

She had brought up two or three f amihes of brothers' 
children and directed their households ; but she finally 
succumbed to the charms of a wealthy official, who had 
lost his wife two years before and who had a number 
of children on which she could continue to practise 
her theories as to their bringing up. Had she held out 
longer and died a maiden, she might have had an arch 
built to her memory after death and gone down to 
posterity. 

Only ladies, young girls and boys under seventeen 
were ever guests of the Empress Dowager in her Pal- 
ace. The Manchu nobles and high officials were in- 
vited on certain days to the Theater, but there was 
always the high intervening screen between them and 
Her Majesty's and the Ladies' loges. The Princes and 
nobles who have official positions, see the Empress 
Dowager in the Audience Hall, and she is now over 
sixty. She has more liberty than before, but generally 
their Audiences are with the Emperor alone, and they 
never come into the Ladies' Precincts. At the per- 
formance of the European circus in the Palace grounds 
I saw, for the first time, nearly all the Princes and 
Manchu officials. 

The Manchus are a taller race than the Chinese and 
more athletic-looking. They are fond of exercise, in- 
dulge in archery, riding, etc., and do not look down 
upon a military career, as do the Chinese. It is said 
that polo playing, which the English got from India, 
originated among the Tartars, and that it is still 
played in Manchuria. I never saw polo played by the 
Manchus, but I have seen some daring riding done by 
the young nobles that would seem to show they could 

223 



With the Empress Dowager 

play polo if they would. The Manchu nobles have an 
inherited military rank, and they also receive militarj^ 
advancement for proficiency in archery and riding. 
The warlike spirit that prompted the Manchus and 
their progenitors, the Nu-Chih Tartars, who not only 
conquered China, but, as ^' the Huns,'' almost overran 
Europe itself, is no longer so militant as it was. The 
modern Manchu is becoming almost as peace-loving 
as the Chinese themselves, but there are still qualities 
which show their descent from a race of warriors. 

They wear the ordinary Chinese costume, and 
though it is said "the shaven head and wearing of 
the queue " were instituted as marks of degradation 
for the Chinese when they were conquered by the 
Manchus, the Emperor himself and all the Manchu 
nobles shave their heads and wear the queue ! They 
wear satin boots with white kid soles. Their hats, in 
summer of finely woven straw, and of fur in winter, 
have the crown covered with a tassel of red silk, sur- 
mounted by the jeweled button denoting their ranks. 
From this button stands out, almost at right angles, 
a jade-mounted aigret, mixed with the peafowl 
feathers, if they have attained that rank. In winter, 
they wear splendid sable short coats. Except these 
sable topcoats, fur is never worn on the outside of a 
garment in China, but is used only as a lining. 

When I saw the Manchu nobles at the circus at the 
Summer Palace, they wore the splendid summer Court 
costume, embroidered in the double dragon, reaching 
below the knee. They were tightly belted in around the 
waist, and very full and ample across the shoulders, 
giving the men the appearance, at least, of broad shoul- 

224 



Manchu and Chinese 

ders, and enhancing their already fine figures. One 
could see that the Emperor was the '' glass of fashion 
and mold of form'' of the young nobles ; for they all 
aimed, as much as possible, at his slenderness of figure 
and even imitated his carriage. The young dandies, 
however, wore a much greater profusion of ornaments 
than His Majesty ever indulged in. The belt buckle, the 
handsomest ornament worn, was of carved jade, ruby 
quartz, or of beautifully chased gold set with precious 
stones. They were then wearing a profusion of orna- 
ments dangling from their belts— embroidered cases 
for fans, chop-sticks and knives, and many other 
ornaments besides the watch, an indispensable adjunct 
to every Chinese gentleman's costume. This is worn 
hanging from the belt in a handsome, embroidered 
case with an open front, so that the elaborate case, 
generally studded with jewels, beautifully enameled, 
or curiously incised, could be seen. This case had a 
sort of fob attachment made of silken cord, woven 
into quaint designs and finished generally with a 
wonderfully carved piece of jade, ruby quartz, or some 
other curious stone. 

Manchu ladies wear their gowns long and loose, 
hanging from the shoulders, and never show the line 
of the waist, nor the outline of the figure; but the 
men belt in their gowns tightty, and are very proud 
of a small waist. 

Among the social customs in China, which obtain 
also among the Manchus, is '' concubinage.'' But it 
exists in such a form that in its actual state, it might 
more properly be called "plurality of wives." The 
concubine, or secondary wife, as I will call her, is 

225 



With the Empress Dowager 

taken from the bosom of her family, and her position 
in her husband's family is considered as secure as that 
of the first wife. Though the fii^st wife only has a 
legal standing, custom gives the secondary wife equal 
rights, and she is no more likely to be put aside than 
the fii'st wife. There are, I suppose, men in China 
who put away a secondary wife, if they are wealthy 
enough to have taken one or several, but they would 
be socially and generally ostracized. 

The man marries in China as soon as he reaches 
manhood. Some young girl who is of the same social 
standing and has the requisite qualities for his wife 
is chosen for him by his parents. This is the legiti- 
mate wife. She is the first and remains first always, 
taking precedence of any and all others that may be 
chosen. The secondary wife is often of the same 
class as the first wife. She is generally chosen by the 
man himself, and is taken from some good family who 
may be poor, and she is an honest young girl. 

She is received, on her entrance into the household, 
by the wife and the man's mother, if she be alive, and 
her position in the family is assigned to her. While 
she must pay court and due respect to the first wife, 
she has her own servants and her own rights, and 
leads her own independent life. The first wife has 
entire authority, in certain matters, over the secondary 
ones, but they generally live amicably together. As 
the first wife is married several years before any sec- 
ond wife is taken, and as she is also generally theii- 
superior in age, this entitles her to theii* respect, 
aside from her legal standing and her position as 
first in the household. The secondary wives stand in 

226 



Manchu and Chinese 

the presence of the first wife until she asks them to 
sit. Should they have any children, the latter call 
the first wife "mother/' and though the mother has 
her part in bringing up the child, it calls her, if 
she be a secondary wife, by her first name, and, in 
important matters, her authority over the child 
must give way to that of the first wife. But the first 
wife rarely abuses her authority over the children 
any more than over the other wives, and does not 
interfere except for, what she thinks is, the child's 
good. 

In theory, according to our ideas, and with American 
or European women, this would be a sad state of 
affairs, but practically, as it exists in China and with 
Chinese women, it seems to work well. The arrange- 
ment of the houses in China is also well adapted for 
this kind of life. There are a number of courts sur- 
rounded by pavilions, each court and its pavilions 
forming a unit— a separate dwelling-place— this unit 
being a part of a great whole. 

The wives live in harmony together, and seem like 
a family of sisters. The first wife apparently takes 
pride in the good conduct and handsome appearance 
of the others, and there seems to be very little jealousy 
among them. 

If this be the position of the secondary wife in the 
families of the gentry and nobility, one may imagine 
how much more exalted it is in the Imperial family 
and how the secondary wife of an Emperor would be 
considered. To have their daughter chosen as the 
secondary wife of an Emperor is looked upon as an 
honor in the highest Manchu families. Of course, 

227 



With the Empress Dowager 

they would prefer to have her the first wife, for she 
has more power, but none of them would demur at 
an alliance of the secondary kind for their daughter, 
for she may thus become the mother of an Emperor, 
and she does become, by this marriage, a member of 
the Imperial family, and is treated as such. She ranks 
higher than any of the Princesses or Ladies of the 
Court, and takes precedence of all except the first wife, 
or a secondary wife, of the Emperor, who may have 
been married before she was. Her place is at the 
side of the first wife, the Empress. In the Palace she 
is called by the same title as the first wife, a Manchu 
word meaning '' Mistress." She cannot wear the Im- 
perial yellow, it is true, but she does wear the Imperial 
orange, which no other Lady at Court can wear. 

These secondary wives are not taken for some phys- 
ical quality from among the masses ; they are not in the 
Palace as the result of a caprice of the Emperor. They 
are from the highest families in the land. They are 
generally chosen by the Emperor's mother, if she be 
alive, with as much care as the first wife, and her posi- 
tion is inferior, only from an official standpoint, to that 
of the Empress. She may even become Empress her- 
self on the death of the first wife and those who pre- 
cede her. The Emperor of China has no '^ harem," 
but he may have as many wives as he wishes. His 
wives never live together in the promiscuity of a 
harem, where all individuality is lost. Each wife has 
her own establishment and her own position, and is not 
dependent on her physical charms for her maintenance 
in that position, any more than is the first wife. Should 
she be the mother of children, she may advance 

228 



Manchu and Chinese 

beyond the others who have none, excepting always 
the first wife ; and even should she have no children, 
she has always her separate establishment and is con- 
sidered a member of the family. The Emperor Kwang- 
Hsu has two wives, both designated by the same title 
in the Palace. In this account of my experiences I 
only allude to the first wife, because it would be con- 
fusing to speak of two Empresses where there is also 
an Empress Dowager, and also because the first wife, 
in this instance, is so much the stronger character and 
the more interesting personality. 



229 



CHAPTER XXVII 

PRESENT-GIVING IN CHINA 

PRESENT-GIVING is really carried to great excess 
all over China, and whatever obtains in China 
obtains at the Palace. The Palace is spoken of in 
Peking as the ^^ Inside," that is, the heart of the Em- 
pire. From this '^ Inside," customs and habits flow 
and pulse over the rest of China, as the blood does 
from the heart, by a thousand arteries reaching to the 
very confines of the Empire, and it also receives the 
impress of what passes on outside among the people. 
Wliether it be, in the instance of present-giving, that 
the custom has grown from the "Inside" to the 
'' Outside " or vice versa, I know not, but it is universal 
in China. However, it probably reaches its greatest 
excess in the Palace. 

Births, marriages, and deaths are all marked by 
presents, and there is a very riot of present-giving at 
the New Year ! Every one then exchanges them, from 
the lowest to the highest. Next comes the anniver- 
sary of the birth. This is celebrated with an unheard- 
of pomp in China. The more exalted the rank and the 
greater the age, the more splendid is the celebration 
and the more magnificent the presents. The Em- 
peror's Birthday was the first I saw celebrated, and I 

230 



Present-Giving in China 

was astonislied at the number and elegance of the 
presents that flowed into the Palace on this occasion. 
But at the Empress Dowager's Birthday all this was 
far surpassed ; and her presents exceeded in number 
and elegance His Majesty's, for she was celebrating 
more years than the Emperor, and the number and 
value of birthday presents increase in proportion to 
the years. Their elegance and number are also regu- 
lated by the rank. The presents the Grand Secretary 
and the Prime Minister receive on such occasions 
would quite astonish a Westerner, and, of course, far 
surpass in number and magnificence what would be 
offered to the president of a department, as his would 
exceed, in elegance, those offered to secretaries of the 
Board. 

Every festival, every ceremony, and all anniver- 
saries are marked by presents, in the Palace. There 
is scarcely a day that presents are not sent into the 
Palace, that some are not sent out, and rarely a day 
when some presents are not exchanged by those '' In- 
side." The Empress Dowager and the Emperor receive 
the greatest number, and, of course, they give the 
greatest number. This seemed to me the greatest ex- 
travagance of the Empress Dowager. At every change 
of season, she presents the young Empress, the Prin- 
cesses, and Ladies, without reference to her favorites, 
with silks, dresses, shoes, and ornaments appropriate 
to the season, and not only do the Ladies receive these 
articles of wearing apparel at the changes of the sea- 
son : she gives them many presents at each festival. 
Besides this, she gives nearly all the expensive Court 
dresses that are worn at the Palace, which cost, with 

231 



With the Empress Dowager 

their embroideries, from three to six hundred dollars 
each. She presents the Ladies with coiffures and 
many jeweled ornaments as well. On the occasion 
of a wedding among the Manchu nobility, which 
must be announced to the Court before it takes place, 
Her Majesty presents the bride handsome rolls of 
silk, embroideries, and jewels. On the occasion of 
births among the courtiers, she sends handsome orna- 
ments to be worn by the new-born child. Even on 
the death of certain people, she sends handsome pres- 
ents to the family, or something to be worn by the de- 
parted, if it should be a widow, who had led a long 
and exemplary life of widowhood, and had devoted 
herself to charity and good works. 

When the ladies of the Legation were first received 
at the Palace, the Empress Dowager naturally followed 
the Chinese Imperial custom of giving each lady a 
present. This precedent having been established and 
seeming to have given pleasure, when the ladies were 
received the next time, which was after the Boxer 
rebellion, she gave them presents again. Unfortu- 
nately, this act was construed into a desire on her part 
to wheedle the foreigners, and curry favor, so that she 
might receive better treatment at the hands of the 
Powers. The truth is, she loves to play the Lady 
Bountiful, and she never mixes up the social with the 
political, and I am sure she had no '^ arriere-p»3nsee " 
but was simply indulging her usual bent. After the 
first few Audiences (when the presents were really of 
value), Her Majesty gave small and unimportant pres- 
ents at the garden parties, which were made the subject 
of ridicule. Her Majesty had heard that the ladies did 

232 



Present-Giving in China 

not wish to receive such handsome presents as she had 
first given, and she hence gave inexpensive souvenirs. 
Finally, the Ministers asked the Chinese Foreign Office 
to request the Empress Dowager to give no more pres- 
ents at the Audiences, and the custom was abolished ; 
though Her Majesty continued to give presents in pri- 
vate, and she still sends, on the four great Chinese 
festivals, flowers, fruits, and confectionery to all the 
ladies of the Legation, as well as to every lady who has 
ever been received at the garden parties, and on the 
departure of any Minister from Peking, she sends his 
wife some parting presents. 

But though present-giving has been stopped at the 
Audiences of the foreign ladies, it goes on with the 
same excess in the Palace and among officials in 
China. At each of Their Majesties' Birthdays, in 
spite of their protests and edicts to prevent it, 
presents pour into the Palace ! Every official who 
has ever been presented in Audience, or who has the 
right, by his official position, to send anything, does 
so. Edicts from the Throne to prevent it will remain 
as ineffectual as those with reference to the binding 
of the feet of the Chinese women (which Her Majesty 
has for years been " recommending " in edicts to be 
abolished), for it has become so thoroughly a part of 
Chinese life as to be almost indispensable. Present- 
giving in China is one of those '^unwritten laws" 
whose tyranny is hardest to break away from. Though 
the system of present-giving is a great tax on the 
officials, as well as their subordinates, in this instance 
the change must come from the people. 

As I was an inmate of the Palace for so long, of 

233 



With the Empress Dowager 

course I came in for my share of presents from the 
Empress Dowager. At every festival I was remem- 
bered, as well as the Princesses and Ladies of the Court, 
and when presents were sent to the ladies of the Lega- 
tion, she sent similar ones to me. Many of the presents 
she made me showed a real consideration for my com- 
fort and displayed much forethought. When the 
weather became cool, and the Ladies of the Court put 
on wadded dresses, Her Majesty sent one of her maids 
to my apartments to get one of my tailor-made dresses. 
She had the Palace tailors copy this in wadded silk. 
It was wonderful how well they did it, too, for, as I 
knew nothing about it, I could give no advice. She 
ordered a few changes made in the severity of the 
tailor-costume, thinking it was too hard in its lines. 
She had a long, soft sash to tie at the side, which, she 
decided, made it look more graceful. When the Prin- 
cesses put on furs, Her Majesty, herself, designed for 
me a long fur-lined garment which she thought would 
be comfortable to paint in. She had some trouble in 
arriving at a result which pleased her, which would 
be warm enough, and which, at the same time, would not 
interfere with the freedom of movement necessary for 
me to work with ease. At the time of the Chinese 
New Year, she sent me two curiously fashioned fur- 
lined dresses. She had the skirts copied from old 
pictures. They were not unlike our pleated skirts, 
with an embroidered panel down the center of the 
front. The jackets were a sort of compromise be- 
tween European and Chinese, and the costumes were 
not only pretty but very comfortable.^ 

234 




THE AUTHOR IN CHINESE COSTUME 



Present-Giving in China 

For wearing with these she ordered a sable hat, for 
the Chinese ladies wear some sort of coiffure on the 
head, winter and summer. This had an embroidered 
crown of pale lavender satin, with long satin stream- 
ers embroidered in gold with good-luck emblems. The 
brim could be worn either turned off the face or pulled 
over the ears and tied under the chin with lavender 
strings. She said she had some trouble in finding a 
design which she thought would suit me. This hat she 
had also had copied from old prints. I learned later 
she had tried three sorts of sables before she got a 
color which she thought would be becoming to my 
unfortunate blonde hair ! On the front of the brim 
she placed a Princess Button. This is worn only by 
Ladies of the Court, and represents the Flaming Pearl 
of the Dynasty. It was established by the founders 
of the Dynasty and is the distinguishing jewel of the 
members of the Imperial family. It consists of a 
large pearl, surrounded by three alternating rows of 
seed-pearls and corals, which are supposed to repre- 
sent flames ! This Flaming Pearl, symbol of the 
^^Unattainable," is the eternal quest of the double 
dragon ! 

Her Majesty also presented me with a number of 
other charming things that I shall always treasure as 
coming from her, and as evidence of her consideration 
for '^ the stranger within her gates," or as spontaneous 
offerings from her naturally generous nature— ever 
desirous of giving pleasure. I wish I might have pre- 
served the flowers and curious grasses which she, her- 
self, gathered and gave me on our many promenades 

235 



With the Empress Dowager 

around the beautiful grounds of the Summer Palace, 
but which, alas ! are withered and gone ! 



1 Her Majesty said my individuality was not lost in these costumes, 
and that I was clothed in attire suitable to the Chinese interior. She 
had now devised a costume for me which was really in harmony with 
my new environment. Our rough tweeds and somber garments, out- 
lining and defining the figure, looked mesquin and out of place in 
these great halls. The bright colors and simple lines of the gowns of 
the Chinese ladies are much more in keeping with their interiors. 
Her Majesty's artistic taste had divined this, and she had made several 
attempts to devise something for me that was in harmony with the 
Chinese " milieu " and at the same time comfortable. 



236 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

SOME WINTER DAYS AT THE PALACE 

THE big, official portrait for St. Louis was ad- 
vancing. I was able to accomplish much more 
now that I had a place where I could work unin- 
terruptedly, and quietly study the painting when I 
was not working. Her Majesty came, with her usual 
retinue, to pose, but it was not at fixed times, and was 
often when I did not expect her. She was looking 
more and more anxious these days ; but she came to 
pose whenever it was necessary, and was very par- 
ticular as to all the details in the portrait. She often 
had the jewels and ornaments changed, and her pearl 
mantle was made over, after she saw it in the first 
sketch, as she did not like its form. 

The throne, about which there had been a question 
when I began the portrait, and which had been a 
present to Her Majesty from the late Emperor Tong 
Chih, her son, had been '4ost" during the Boxer 
troubles, but Her Majesty thought it might be repro- 
duced from descriptions and from sketches by the 
Palace painters who had seen it ; but I could not con- 
sent to work either from memory or other painters' 
sketches, and I was finally obliged to paint, ^'faute de 
mieux," one of the carved teakwood thrones of which 

237 



With the Empress Dowager 

Her Majesty is so fond. This throne did not suit the 
straight lines of the composition so well as almost 
any other in the Palace would have done, but Her 
Majesty wished it. 

I found the representation of the nine life-size 
pheniXj in vigorous colors, on a blue cloisonne screen 
placed almost touching the throne, very difficult to 
represent, so that they did not seem to be real birds 
flying around her head. The vases of flowers and 
ornaments were also placed at exactly equal distances 
on either side of the throne, but it was necessary to 
paint them this way. It would not have been ^ ' proper " 
otherwise. The figure was in the exact center of the 
three-fold screen, and so near it, it was impossible to 
ge any atmosphere in the background. There was 
not a fold in either gown or sleeves ; but I had now 
resigned myself to convention and tradition, and I 
copied mechanically what was placed before me, and 
made no more efforts at artistic arrangements, nor 
tried any experiments in execution. I worked like a 
good artisan, finishing so many inches a day. 

The weather was now too cold for anything but the 
short constitutional, and, besides, there was no place 
in the Winter Palace to tempt one to promenades— 
only the walled-in courts and the shut-in walks, 
between high walls. Even Her Majesty's promenades 
were confined to going to the Audience Hall in the 
morning, and walking through the courts, from one 
Throne-room to another. 

Every day we saw the Empress Dowager for some 
moments in her Throne-room before I went to my 
work. On Theater days, I made her my morning salu- 

238 



Some Winter Days at the Palace 

tation in her loge at the Theater, and when the light 
faded and I could paint no more, I would go into the 
young Empress's and the Ladies' loge for the last 
play and the spectacular finale, when there were 
always some good illuminations and pretty effects. 
Her Majesty and the young Empress seemed now to 
perfectly understand that I wanted to work, and must 
work, in order to finish the large portrait for the St. 
Louis Exposition. They saw I appreciated the amuse- 
ments and ceremonies, etc., but that I did not wish 
them to interfere with my work. When there was a 
special festival, or some fine ceremony, I was always 
called in, but otherwise I might go or not, as I wished. 

I lunched generally with the Ladies, with the charm- 
ing young Empress as gracious hostess, and dined at 
night at Her Majesty's table. Two huge copper braziers 
had now been placed in the Throne-room, and though 
so picturesque with the blue flames curling above their 
openings in the top, they made but little impression 
upon the temperature of this lofty room. The curtains 
over the immense doors that opened on the courts 
were constantly being raised for the passage of some 
eunuch, and it was very drafty. But one could at 
least warm one's hands by the braziers, and they were 
so beautiful and picturesque, I was reconciled to being 
a little cold ; besides, I soon became accustomed to the 
temperature. The Chinese Ladies wear heavy fur- 
lined dresses in the house, and cannot stand the rooms 
very warm. 

At dinner, a large carpet was now placed under the 
table, which was an improvement over the cold 
marble floors. This was done for my comfort, for 

239 



With the Empress Dowager 

the Chinese Ladies wear two-inch-thick cork soles to 
their fur-lined shoes. Down the center of the table, 
during the winter, there were several silver chafing- 
dishes, with burning charcoal beneath their steaming 
contents. Soups, vegetables, and meat stews were 
thus kept boiling hot on the table. One night I sug- 
gested to one of the eunuchs to place the claret-bottle 
near the fire before serving it, that the chill might be 
taken off. One very cold day, soon after, the eunuch 
brought in a large teapot, and began pouring the 
boiling claret out of this ! The Chinese drink their 
wines hot, and he thought he would improve on my 
suggestion of '' taking off the chill," and he naively 
remarked " it was better for me to drink it thus on 
such a cold day !" 

When there was no Theater, and it became too dark 
to paint, I would join the young Empress and Ladies 
in their sitting-room at the left of Her Majesty's 
Throne-room and there await dinner. The young 
Empress would then teach me Chinese. She was 
very particular about my accent and seemed to take a 
real interest in my progress. The Chinese language 
is very difficult for a beginner, even for one who has 
a good ear, for the " tone " or inflection with which 
you pronounce the word may change its meaning. 
Sometimes one after the other of the Princesses would 
repeat the same word in different tones and make me 
repeat it and then give the meaning of each tone. 
They would sometimes make puns on words, or give 
me a string of difficult words for the accent and to im- 
prove my enunciation, as the French teach the chil- 
dren, " Trois gros rats dans trois gros trous." When 

240 



Some Winter Days at the Palace 

I would finally get quite tangled up with these words 
I would retaliate with " Peter Piper picked a peck of 
pickled peppers." This would end the lesson for that 
day, for they would all try to say it and get so hilari- 
ous that there was no effort at further study, and din- 
ner would be announced in the midst of the fun. 

Sometimes the young Empress and the Ladies would 
play cards in the evenings. Her Majesty seemed 
only to like her fairy game ! The cards were narrow 
slips of pasteboard with curious devices on each, but 
little more than an inch wide, and there were one hun- 
dred and fi.f ty in a pack. I never succeeded in getting 
into the merits of the game. Sometimes when the La- 
dies felt industriously inclined, they would weave a 
kind of braid. The threads, gold, silver, or silk, were 
attached to the center of a wooden table and were 
weighted at the ends. They would weave these in and 
out into cunningly fashioned braids and ribbons. The 
Princesses did a great deal of beautiful embroidery, 
making their own shoes, which are of exquisitely em- 
broidered satin, but they could not do this at night, for 
only candles are used in the two Peking Palaces, the 
Summer Palace being the only one in China lighted 
by electricity. 

One night at dinner the young Empress asked me to 
come earlier than usual the next morning, as there 
was something she wished me to see. Several eunuchs 
were waiting at the gate of the Palace to conduct us 
to the young Empress when we arrived at nine o'clock 
the next morning, and I then learned this was her Birth- 
day. I hurried in and found the Imperial Princess and 
all the Ladies of the Palace, besides a number of visit- 



16 



241 



With the Empress Dowager 

ors, standing in front of the yonng Empress's pavilion. 
They told me she had asked them to wait to present 
their congratulations until I came, and said that I was 
to go in first. I did so, and there, on a throne, sat the 
young Empress in full Court dress, wearing the Court 
coiffure, with its veil of pearls, which was most be- 
coming to her narrow patrician face. She was looking 
very sweet and gracious and held out her tiny hand to 
me on my entrance. I bowed low over it and kissed 
it, and wished her from the bottom of my heart '' ten 
thousand " years of happiness and all kinds of '^ feli- 
citous omens." I then started to move out, but she told 
me to remain in the room at one side and watch the 
Princesses and Ladies as they came in. Each made 
the prostrations before her and presented a jade 
''ruyie," ^ which she received with due ceremony— the 
same ceremony as for the Emperoi-'s and Empress 
Dowager's Birthday ! 

But these winter days were not all given up to the 
Theater and festivals. There were some days of sad- 
der import. Days of mourning were often celebrated 
at the Palace. The anniversary of the deaths of some 
Emperor or Ancestor was of frequent occurrence. It 
seemed to me they celebrated the anniversary of the 
death of every Emperor of the Dynasty ! On these days 
there would be sacrifices at the ancestral tablets and 
religious ceremonies early in the mornings. The Em- 
press Dowager and the whole Court would wear mourn- 
ing for the day and there was never any sort of amuse- 
ment. White, which is full mourning, is not worn on 
these anniversaries after the third, but violet and blue 
(second mourning) is put on. The flowers worn in the 

242 



Some Winter Days at the Palace 

coiffure were also in violet, white or blue, the mourning 
colors. One night at dinner the young Empress, who 
acts as Mistress of Ceremonies in the Palace, told me 
the following was a day of mourning. She asked me 
if I would wear one of the mourning colors, as it was 
the anniversary of the death of the Emperor Tung- 
Chih (the Empress Dowager's son). 

The next day I put on a black dress, our mourn- 
ing, and wore violet flowers in my hair. When we 
entered. Her Majesty was sacrificing at the small 
shrine in her sitting-room. She was dressed in dark 
violet, heavily trimmed with black, and had not a 
flower of any kind in her hair — only a few pearls. 
She looked very sad and was more earnest and rever- 
ent at the sacrifice than usual, but when she had fin- 
ished her sacrifice, she bade us ''Good morning " and 
inquired after our health, with her usual considera- 
tion. We soon left the Throne-room for my working- 
hall, and I did not see her again until after our dinner 
with the Empress and Ladies, when we went into the 
Throne-room to make our adieus. As I had not been 
wearing black for some time (as Her Majesty said she 
did n't like it), she now noticed that I had it on and she 
asked Lady Yu-Keng, in an aside, '' why." She was 
told that when I knew what anniversary it was, I had 
put it on on that account. She seemed much touched, 
took my hand in both hers, and said, '' You have a 
good heart to think of my grief and to have wished 
to sympathize," and tears fell from her eyes on my 
hand, which she held in hers. 

Poor lady! Private sorrows and sad memories 
were not all she had to grieve her now. I had noticed 

243 



With the Empress Dowager 

her growing anxiety for many days ! She seemed to 
feel all the gravity of the political situation of China. 
As the rumors of war between Russia and Japan 
grew, her anxiety increased and she was looking 
sad and careworn. She seemed to be full of doubt 
and fear, and quite unlike her usual self. I fancy she 
thought of the unprepared state of her country and 
feared that it might be drawn into this struggle. She 
seemed to be in doubt as to the course that was best 
to be taken. Even should the Empire not be drawn 
into the conflict, two hostile nations were to meet 
witliin its borders. The struggle was to take place 
in Manchuria, the cradle of the Dynasty. That beau- 
tiful, smiling country would be ravished by war, and 
the awful possibility of the ancestral tombs being 
desecrated, loomed up before her. The desecration 
of the tombs of one's ancestors in China is supposed 
to bring dire consequences upon the family, and a 
pious Chinaman would face any material loss rather 
than run the risk of these tombs being desecrated. 
She felt it all, and was sad indeed. 

1 Also spelled jiu. 



244 



CHAPTER XXIX 

RELIGIOUS RITES IN CHINA 

THERE are three great religions in China— Bud- 
dhism, Taoism, and the worship of Nature. The 
worship of Nature, in which is embodied their highest 
idea of an Invisible Deity, is the purest form of re- 
ligion in China. Its Temples are situated in a mag- 
nificent Park in the Chinese City of Peking. The 
Temple of Heaven, the most imposing of the group, 
spherical and triple-domed, rears its proud height here 
and is visible from afar. Its triple dome tiled, with- 
out, in the sacred green of Nature and vaulted within 
in Heaven's own blue, is surrounded by groves of 
century-old arbor-vitae. In other parts of the great 
Park are the scarcely less splendid Temples to the 
Earth, to the Sun and Moon and to Agriculture, and 
grandest, most unique of these Temples, is that to 
the Invisible Deity. Its foundations are the Earth, 
its walls are limitless Ether, its dome Heaven's own 
vault ! On its great open altar this Nature-worship 
has its culmination and reaches its highest fulfilment. 
This altar is the Holy of Holies, the tabernacle of 
the group of Temples consecrated to the worship of 
Nature. 

It is built in the center of a great marble paved 

245 



With the Empress Dowager 

space with the secular arbor- vitee radiating therefrom 
in long concentric avenues. It is of pure white mar- 
ble, round as is the Earth. The Trinity in Nature and 
its Infinity are symbolized in its three superposed 
circles. Each of the circular platforms is surrounded 
by an exquisitely carved balustrade and approached 
by flights of nine steps each, to the north, south, east, 
and west. The central point of the great upper circle 
thus represents the center of the Universe, accessible 
from every point of the compass. 

Here in this symbolic center of the world, in this 
great Temple, whose walls are Space, whose towers 
are Infinity, on this great triple altar, canopied with 
Heaven itself, the Emperor of China, '^ Son of Heaven," 
glorifies the Invisible Deity and sacrifices for the pros- 
perity of '^ the Great, Pure Kingdom " and his people. 
This worship of the Invisible Deity has no Priestly 
Hierarchy. The Emperor of China is its one High 
Priest. He alone is worthy, as the Son of Heaven, to 
perform its unique ceremonies, on its one great Altar, 
in its single great Temple of China. 

The Emperor prepares himself for the great cere- 
mony of the semi-annual celebration on this altar by 
a rigorous fast of three days, spending the final night 
before the celebration in a vigil in the Great Park of 
the Nature Temples, where there is a Purifying 
Palace set aside for his use. This glorification of the 
Invisible Deity at the summer and winter solstices is 
the most solemn act performed by the Emperor in his 
quality of Son of Heaven. 

The Emperor is not only the one High Priest 
worthy to sacrifice on the great altars to the Invisible 

246 



Religious Rites in China 

Deity, the Priestly Hierachy of the whole of this 
Cult of Nature is vested in his Sacred Person. He 
alone offers sacrifices in the Temples of Heaven and 
the other Great Temples, at times set aside in the 
Book of Rites, and on special occasions. When famine 
devastates the land, when drought or any other Na- 
tional Calamity is visited upon the Empire, the Em- 
peror prays in these Temples for its cessation, for he 
is not only the High Priest, but as ^^Son of Heaven" 
is the expiator for the afflictions visited upon his 
people by Heaven, and he publicly holds himself re- 
sponsible for the misfortunes of the Empire. Accord- 
ing to the Book of Rites, he says in time of trouble, 
^' I will purify myself by sacrifice that these calamities 
may be lifted from the Empire and the people. I 
alone am responsible." 

The great semi-annual celebration to the Invisible 
Deity is not only the most solemn of the religious 
rites the Emperor performs ; it is at the same time 
the most formal of his official acts as ruler of the 
Great Empire. He prepares himself, by fasting and 
subduing the body, for the religious rite ; for the offi- 
cial ceremony as Emperor of China, he is accompanied 
by all his ministers and the highest nobles of the 
land and surrounded by splendid pomp and Imperial 
pageantry. 

Though in his triple quality of Emperor, High 
Priest, and Expiator, he personally sacrifices only in 
the great Temples to Nature the Emperor has all the 
religions of his Empire under his protection and is 
their nominal Head. He assists indiscriminately at 
Buddhist or Taoist ceremonies, and encourages with 

247 



With the Empress Dowager 

impartiality both cults. But these religions have 
priestly hierarchies, and complicated Rituals^ and the 
Emperor is only the ^'Ex-officio" Head and High 
Priest. All the festivals and fasts of both are cele- 
brated in the Palace. 

The Chinese are not a religious people, though so 
moral a race. They are rather followers of a philosophy 
than members of religious bodies. The two most popu- 
lar religions of China, Buddhism and Taoism, have 
become more or less outward forms. They are empty 
shells which may once have contained the Spirit, but 
have now become mere conventional representations 
of ancient rites. The Chinese people are really Confu- 
cians, and Confucianism is a system of ethics, a phi- 
losophy rather than a religion. Whether they be Bud- 
dhists or Taoists, they are all followers of Confucius, 
and live by the rules the Great Sage has laid down for 
them. The doctrines of Buddha and Laotze have be- 
come so incrusted with error in China as to afford no 
moral or ideal help to their followers. The Chinese 
participate indiscriminately in either of these religious 
rites, many of which have become mere outward spec- 
tacular ceremonies, where there is a great deal of 
display and much form, but very little real worship. 
They get all their moral support from the writings of 
Confucius and all their ideals from communion with 
Nature. They are really philosophers and worship- 
ers of Nature, and the Emperor's semi-annual sacri- 
fice on the altar of Heaven and those at the Temples 
of Nature typify the real worship of the people. 

All the religious rites in China have their origin in, 
or are in celebration of, some natural phenomenon 

248 



Religious Rites in China 

or some periodical event in Nature. They celebrate 
the summer and winter solstices, the equinoxes, the 
New Year, the awakening of spring, when the sap 
(life-giving element) begins to mount. The Harvest 
Moon is the time of the going to rest of this life-giv- 
ing element. Their complicated ceremonial is but the 
crystallization of some simple observance of Nature's 
fundamental laws. This ceremonial has been kept 
alive all these centuries, because of the vivifying spark 
of Nature which enkindled them. These rites are now 
observed without a thought of their origin, but Na- 
ture still remains their creative force. In spite of 
their conventions, the Chinese have kept very near to 
Nature, and I believe this is the secret of their won- 
derful vitality. They have been overrun and con- 
quered by many different races, and their assimilation 
of these conquerors is one of the most astonishing 
things in the ethnic study of this wonderful race. 

No conquering race has ever changed the Chinese. 
Tartars, Mongols, Manchus have all passed and be- 
come amalgamated with them. Their conquerors have 
adopted the Chinese philosophy and religion, their 
customs and habits, and even their system of govern- 
ment. And they have never been able to impose any 
really new system of government upon the Chinese. 

These founders of Dynasties in China have all been 
'' warriors bold" and reckless marauders with little 
philosophy and no literature to speak of. When the 
Manchus, the last of these conquerors, founders of the 
present Dynasty, established themselves in Peking, 
in 1646, they were a wild and warlike race. They, 
like all the other conquerors of China, conciliated their 

249 



With the Empress Dowager 

vanquished foes by all sorts of concessions, and they 
now rule by Chinese laws, and to-day are hardly dis- 
tinguishable from the Chinese. They have never 
made, any more than the other conquerors, the 
slightest impress upon this calm and passive race; 
and they have become Chinese. '^ To-day the Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu is recognized as one of the best Chinamen 
in China." The Manchu men to-day wear Chinese 
dress. The Emperor, himself, shaves his head and 
wears the queue, the one visible sign of degradation 
that is said to have been imposed upon the Chinese at 
the time of the conquest. Oh ! Irony of fate ! 

The Manchus are now as quiet and peaceful a race 
as the Chinese themselves. They dread war. They 
live by the laws of Confucius. Though not a race of 
thinkers or philosophers, they have come to have the 
same ideals as the Chinese, and this, without the 
natural amalgamation brought about by inter-mar- 
riage, for it is only within the last few years that the 
Throne has issued an edict, allowing inter-marriage 
between the Chinese and Manchu, and even, with this 
edict, up to this time there has been very little mix- 
ture, by marriage, of the races. The Chinese seem 
easily led and conquered, but their national vitality is 
very vigorous, and has kept them pure in racial char- 
acteristics after their thousands of years of national 
existence. 

The Festival of the Harvest Moon, which typifies 
the season when the hfe-giving element in Nature 
goes to rest for the Winter, I have already described. 
It is intermixed with legends and practices that destroy 
its original meaning ; but the ceremony to the awak- 

250 



n 
3 < 

o to 
n 

% o 




WW 









Mr 



Religious Rites in China 

ening of Spring has not departed from its original 
intention, and is simpler and nearer Nature. The 
awakening of Spring, the day when the sap is sup- 
posed to stir from its long sleep and to feel the first 
throes of renewed life, is commemorated in a pretty, 
homely ceremony at the Palace. The radish and 
young shoots of lettuce, the first vegetables to receive 
the benefit of the rising sap, are presented on a silver 
salver to Her Majesty by a kneehng eunuch. She 
partakes of them, and then gives them to the young 
Empress and Ladies to taste of. When Her Majesty 
raises the first radish to her lips, the young Empress, 
Princesses, and Ladies assembled in her Throne-room, 
repeat the wish for Imperial happiness, synonymous 
with ^'National prosperity." This wish is echoed by the 
high attendants in the ante-chamber, and reechoed 
by the eunuchs kneeling in the courts without, and 
still echoed and reechoed by every inmate of the 
Palace, until the waves of sound reach to the outer 
walls. Then Her Majesty makes a wish that the sap 
may rise in such abundance as to produce a fruitful 
season, that all the people of the Great Empire may 
enjoy peace and plenty. 

Thus are these first fruits of the awakening 
Spring partaken of with a simple ceremony of praise 
and thanksgiving. Thus are these homely plants 
consecrated with wishes made for the good of the 
country and the happiness of its rulers. It was to 
me a beautiful ceremony, so simple that it brought 
these people with all their conventions and aU their 
forms very near the heart itself of Nature. 

The annual plowing of a furrow and sowing of the 

251 



With the Empress Dowager 

first seeds of the year by the Emperor, the planting 
of a mulberry tree (to nourish the silkworms) by the 
Empress, are other touches of Nature which show 
how near the Chinese are to the heart of things. One 
of the honorary offices which is considered a great 
mark of Imperial favor, and which the highest ladies 
of the land receive with reverent gratitude, is to be 
appointed "Guardian of the Cocoons"; for the silk 
industry is one of the great sources of National pros- 
perity in China. These ladies of high degree, guardians 
of the cocoons, go in annual pilgrimage to the mul- 
berry groves, where the cocoons flourish, to make 
sacrifices and prayers for the health and growth of 
the cocoon. Being so near to Nature, the Chinese are 
naturally a pastoral people, a race of agriculturists ; 
and agriculture, being thus honored by the Sacred 
Persons of Their Majesties, becomes a lofty ideal. 
Labor, which the Emperor publicly performs, loses 
all taint and grows into an Inspiration. 



252 



CHAPTER XXX 

HER MAJESTY THE EMPRESS DOWAGER 

THE current story that the Empress Dowager was 
a slave-girl and is of low origin is absolutely 
false. Her Majesty is the daughter of a Lieutenant- 
General of the Manchu forces, a position only attain- 
able by members of the highest Manchu nobility. She 
belongs to the family of the White Banner, second 
only to that of the Yellow Banner, of which the 
Emperor of China, himself, is the head. At the time 
of the conquest of China by the Manchus, there was 
a fierce struggle between these two powerful families 
for the supremacy, and the Yellow Banner finally car- 
ried the day. The Empress Dowager was brought up 
with great care and highly educated by her father, a 
noble of great acquirements. 

Like all young Manchu ladies of rank, she went to 
the Palace for presentation to the then Empress and 
Empress Dowager between the ages of seventeen 
and twenty. She immediately attracted them by her 
cleverness and wit, as well as by her charm and beauty, 
and, being of an honorable and high Manchu family, 
was at once considered as a possible wife for the Em- 
peror. On presentation to the Emperor, she met 
also with his approval and was then chosen as one 

253 



With the Empress Dowager 

of the wives and given her establishment at Court. 
She was the fifth chosen, and hence ranked fifth on 
her marriage and was taken precedence of by the four 
others who were married before she was. 

She became at once a favorite, both with the Dow- 
ager Empress and Empress, the first wife, as well as 
with the Emperor. She soon took precedence over 
the wife just over her and became fourth wife, for 
secondary wives can mount in degree. A brilliant 
woman, with exceptional qualities, takes her place in 
a Chinese family, as in the world, above that of her 
less endowed sister, unless this latter should be the 
first wife. Her place can never be taken, except in 
case of her death. The first wife of the Emperor 
Hsien-Feng died two months before he came to the 
Throne and was never Empress. There were two years 
of mourning, prescribed by the rites, during which 
time there was no official Empress. Then the first of 
his secondary wives was made Empress, and she it was 
who was the first wife when the present Empress 
Dowager went into the Palace as fifth wife. 

Two years after her marriage, she gave birth to a 
son, and five years later, on the death of his father, 
this son became the Emperor Tung-Chih ; the young 
mother, together with the Empress, the first wife, who 
had adopted him, were given the title of " Dowager 
Empress.'' They were appointed Co-Regents for the 
boy Emperor, and bore, respectively, the titles of 
Empress of the Eastern Palace and Empress of the 
Western Palace, with equal rank and power. She of 
the Eastern Palace was a woman of quiet tastes, 
given to literary pursuits, with none of the remark- 

254 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

able executive ability of her Co-Regent, the Empress 
of the Western Palace, the great Tze-Hsi, who still 
rules the destiny of China. Though so different, they 
lived amicably together, thoroughly appreciated each 
other's qualities, and are said to have had a sincere af- 
fection for each other, which never weakened during 
the whole of their long association, first as wives of 
the Emperor Hsien-Feng, then as Regents for his son, 
and afterward as Regents for the present Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu. The amicable relations of these two 
Empresses were only severed by the death of the 
Empress of the Eastern Palace in 1881, when posthu- 
mous honors were lavished upon her by the pres- 
ent Empress Dowager. 

China was passing through troublous times when 
the young Tung-Chih, son of the Empress Dowager, 
came to the Throne. His father, the Emperor Hsien- 
Feng died at Jehol, far from Peking, where the Court 
had gone at the approach of the foreigners, who were 
aiding in quelling the Taiping rebellion. The times 
were critical. The integrity of China, the future, 
even, of the Empire, depended upon the action of its 
ministers" and its rulers at this crisis. In the ab- 
sence of the Court from Peking, some reactionary 
ministers, strongly anti-foreign, claimed they had 
been appointed by the late Emperor as Regents for 
young Tung-Chih. Had his mother and adopted 
mother, the two Empress Dowagers, joined them, an- 
archy might have followed ; and, at least, there would 
have been serious foreign complications, for this anti- 
foreign party would never have come to terms with 
the foreigners, who were then in Peking. It was 

255 



With the Empress Dowager 

most important for the ruling Power, that is, the 
party which should become Regents, to have the sup- 
port of the Empresses who held the Sacred Person 
of the young Emperor, under their care. They were 
approached by both parties. The young Empress 
of the Western Palace, absolutely unversed in State- 
craft, and, up to that time, ignorant of all that was 
passing outside the Palace walls, showed wonderful 
perspicacity and rare judgment in her keen grasp of 
the situation at this time. She repudiated the anti- 
foreign party and joined forces with Prince Kung, 
whose name was then synonymous with Progress in 
China — an enlightened Prince and the most pro-for- 
eign of all the Imperial Family — and she and the 
first Empress were appointed Regents for the young 
Emperor. Prince Kung was the Minister who, thanks 
to this cooperation of the Empress of the Western 
Palace, carried the negotiations with France and Eng- 
land to a successful conclusion. 

This first political act of the young Empress of the 
Western Palace brought her into immediate notice, 
and showed the progressive statesmen of China that 
they had an intelligent aid in her. The Grand Coun- 
cil and the Princes of the Imperial Family at once rec- 
ognized her superior ability and they have always 
stanchly supported her throughout her career and 
remained true to her in all vicissitudes. In fact, she 
has known how to inspire loyalty and great devotion 
in all by whom she has been surrounded. 

It was through her wonderful grasp of the situation 
at this time and the great executive ability she showed 
later, tha-t the two Empresses brought the Emperor 

256 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

Tung-Chih through his minority, and when he began 
to reign in his eighteenth year, internal troubles had 
been quelled and foreign complications avoided, and 
China was in a much more settled and prosperous 
condition than when he came to the Throne, twelve 
years before. 

There was an interval of but two years in their 
long Regency for the two Emperors, when the 
Emperor Tung-Chih, having reached his majority, 
reigned. The death of her son, the Emperor, at the 
early age of twenty, after only two years of actual 
reigning, was a dreadful blow to the Empress of the 
Western Palace. She had, however, but a short time 
for grief. With heart bleeding and sore, she was 
obliged almost immediately to again assume the duties 
of Co-Regent with the Empress of the Eastern Palace, 
for her nephew and adopted son, the young Emperor 
Kwang-Hsu. The two Empresses had then another 
boy Emperor only five years old, to protect, prepare 
for reigning, and to govern for. 

One has only to be cognizant of events in China 
since the Dowager Empress Tze-Hsi has ruled, to know 
the facts of her government. When she took up the 
Regency, China was seething with rebellion and there 
were foreign complications, requiring great tact and 
keen intelligence. She has steered the ship of State 
between the two extremes, though she has sometimes 
run it against the rocks of Scylla in trying to avoid the 
whirlpool of Charybdis, and she has always been a 
" moderate " in her political course. China having, for 
so many centuries, had no relations with foreign powers, 
her statesmen being so absolutely unversed in mod- 

2S1 



With the Empress Dowager 

ern methods of diplomacy, has not made a brilliant 
record in her foreign relations, and she has so fre- 
quently been made the dupe of European diplomacy, 
it is not wonderful China has tried to defend herself 
by duplicity : using what she thought the same methods 
she saw were so efficacious in the hands of Europeans. 

When the Empress Dowager gave up the reins of 
government to the Emperor Kwang-Hsu, in the year 
1889, after twenty-eight years of Regency, the Great 
Empire was at that time in a prosperous condition. Its 
ports had been opened to foreign trade, a fine Customs 
organization had been established upon a firm basis, 
and China was at peace with the world. 

The first part of the young Emperor's reign was un- 
eventful. He was directed in most things by his min- 
isters, and followed the moderate poHcy laid down by 
the Empress Dowager. He seemed to have no special 
views of his own and no designs of progress for China. 
Until the war with Japan with reference to the suzer- 
ainty^ of Corea, in 1894, he was a passive figurehead. 
The Japanese victories changed all this. Their vic- 
tory gave China one of her most humiliating les- 
sons ; for the Chinese, who had given Japan the nucleus 
of its literature, its art and architecture, looked down 
upon the Japanese as a race of imitators and had a deep- 
seated contempt for them as a nation. This victory 
almost awoke the passive leviathan— that is, China— 
from its long sleep of national self -content. The young 
Emperor, smarting under this galling defeat, felt that 
China had only been conquered by Japan's use of 
modern methods of warfare and determined on sweep- 
ing reforms in the government. FuU of youthful en- 

258 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

thusiasm, he felt he could put the Great Empire on the 
road to progress and wished to institute sweeping re- 
forms in all departments. He immediately abandoned 
the moderate policy of the Regency and surrounded 
himself by a number of hot-headed, self-seeking re- 
formers, each pushing some new method of reform. 
The reformers wished, at one fell swoop, to change the 
system of education, the system of government— in 
fact to make such sweeping changes that this conserva- 
tive nation would have risen in a mass had they been 
carried out. Besides the Radicals, who were the reform 
party, there were also a number of discontents among 
the ultra-Conservatives, who, seeing the Emperor's anx- 
iety and desire for change, began to push forward cer- 
tain schemes of their own. Finally, the ultra-conser- 
vatives and reactionaries decided they would join 
forces with the Radicals, hoping by so doing to change 
the National policy and the then existing state of gov- 
ernment. In the turmoil that would follow this up- 
heaval, each hoped to carry out his own designs, quite 
different in scope. Each party made the Emperor 
believe that progress was its aim. The coalition of 
these two diametrically opposed parties was for the 
purpose of persuading the Emperor to depart from the 
moderate opportunist policy which had been the mo- 
tive power of the Empress Dowager's regime. The ad- 
herents of the Reform party were opposed to this mod- 
erate policy because it was too conservative. Those 
of the Reactionaries objected to it because it was too 
progressive. The power of the central government 
vested in the . young Emperor seemed likely to be 
crushed between these two self-seeking factions. 

259 



With the Empress Dowager 

China's wisest statesmen saw the peril, songht the 
Empress Dowager, beseeched her to return from her 
retirement and, for the salvation of China, to give 
the Empii'e again the benefit of her wise counsels. 
When she realized the danger she returned. Such 
is the ascendancy of the ^'ancestor" in China, the 
Emperor could not refuse to accept the counsel of his 
August Ancestress, thus forced upon him. He issued 
an edict in which he recalled " that Her Majesty the 
Empress Dowager has on two occasions taken the reins 
of government, with great success, at most critical times. 
In all she has done, Her Majesty has been moved by a 
deep regard for the welfare of the Empire. I have im- 
plored Her Majesty to be graciously pleased to advise 
me in government, and I have received her assent." 
The Emperor's authority was not wrested from him— 
he was not deposed. He still remained the Emperor 
of China ; but the Empress Dowager's counsels were 
forced upon him, he could not but accept them, and she 
became once more the real Ruler of China. This was 
what foreigners call the '^ coup d'etat " of 1898. 

Her Majesty's keenness of insight and fine judg- 
ment (as far as Chinese questions are concerned), 
served her well again in this crisis. She dismissed not 
only the self-seeking Radicals, but the self-seeking 
ultra-Conservatives. Such of the Reformers as were 
caught were tried, convicted of treason, summarily 
and cruelly punished. Those who escaped, among 
them Kang-Yu-Wei, the ringleader of the Reformers, 
were outlawed. The leader of the ultra-Conservatives, 
the Emperor's tutor, was not beheaded, but was sent 
into exile ; for a tutor in China occupies almost the 

260 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

position of a parent to his pupil, and this position 
exempted him from more cruel punishment. These 
summary proceedings on the part of the Moderates, 
led by Her Majesty, were considered by the foreign- 
ers, who were altogether in sympathy with the Reform- 
ers, as a reversion to anti-progress ideas, and hence 
were considered anti-foreign. It certainly was an 
" anti-reform " movement that caused the ^' coup 
d'etat" of 1898, but had the adherents of the so- 
called reformer Kang-Yu-Wei, whose subsequent 
career has proven how self-seeking he was, carried 
the day ; had his sweeping measures been inaugurated, 
it might have brought China into a state of anarchy 
and would certainly have been m_ost pernicious to the 
Nation, for she was not ready for the drastic measures 
the Reformers advocated, and the great mass of the 
people would have rebelled against them. 

The " coup d'etat " and the consequent check upon 
the Emperor's dreams of progress was a great blow to 
him. He was not only chagrined at the failure of his 
efforts for reform, by which he hoped to show the 
world that China still counted as a power and to retal- 
iate upon Japan, but he was also profoundly discour- 
aged when he discovered the real nature and designs of 
his chosen instruments. He saw that he had been over- 
sanguine in hoping to realize at once his enthusiastic 
dreams for the immediate rehabilitation of China's 
prestige ; he saw that his ardent desire for progress 
was not enough, and that to hope to reform in a few 
years the century-old traditions of his most conserva- 
tive people was but the wild irrealizable dream of 
youth, and absolutely impracticable. Though he 

261 



With the Empress Dowager 

knew he had been led away by his wishes for reform 
to expect the impossible, the disappointment was none 
the less severe and was most depressing to his 
sensitive nature. The reaction took place. His never- 
too-strong constitution broke down under the strain, 
and this breaking down of his health lent color to the 
reports, which were immediately circulated among Her 
Majesty's enemies as well as among the foreigners, 
that the Empress Dowager was trying to kill the Em- 
peror! She was reported to have imprisoned him, 
was said to be trying to poison him at one time and 
at another to starve him to death— the nephew 
she had brought up through a delicate boyhood and 
whom she cherished as her own son ! Time has shown 
the truth of these reports, for, had she so desired, she 
would have had no difficulty in accomplishing his 
death. She had any number of instruments at her 
hand, fanatically loyal to her and ready to carry out 
any of her wishes. 

She still " assists " the Emperor in ruling ; and, 
according to Chinese tradition, she, being his " ances- 
tor," must always take the first place. She sits upon 
the Throne, he upon a chair at her side. It would be 
improper, according to all Chinese law, were it other- 
wise. The foreigners speak of the Empress Dowager 
forcing the Emperor to stand in her presence and to 
sit upon a stool while she occupies the Throne. It is 
not Her Majesty who forces him to do this, it is an 
immutable thousand-year-old tradition in China that 
a son must take a lower place than his parent in his 
presence, be he Emperor or peasant. The Empress 
Dowager stiU reigns. The times are still too troub- 

262 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

lous for her to withdraw her experience from the 
councils of State, and though longing for the quiet 
and rest so necessary to a woman of her age, and 
though really anxious to retire, she feels the time has 
not yet come. 

The Empress Dowager, having crushed the Reform- 
ers, and reseated herself upon the Throne, was, from 
the time of the ^^ coup d'etat," considered to be anti- 
foreign and responsible for all the attacks upon 
foreigners by ignorant Chinese that took place after 
that event. When, only two years after the '' coup 
d'etat," the secret society of the Boxers began their 
sanguinary attacks upon the foreigners, Her Majesty 
was considered responsible for them, was looked upon 
as aiding and abetting the Boxers ; and, by the for- 
eigners at least, she was considered to be the high 
priestess if not the originator of the order. But the 
Boxer movement had no such high origin. It started 
among the people, the humble people, in the North- 
ern provinces of China, far from the Capital, and had 
been in existence for a number of years before the 
attack upon the Legations in 1900. 

The open contempt of many of the foreigners 
living in China, not only for the Chinese as a race, but 
for their most cherished customs and traditions 5 the 
fact that the Chinese converts of the foreign mission- 
aries may break Chinese laws and still not be amena- 
ble to Chinese punishment; the constantly renewed 
demands of the foreign powers for territory, for the 
punishment of high Chinese officials and hundreds of 
other acts that no body of foreigners in any country 
but China would dare to try to force upon the people, 

263 



With the Empress Dowager 

finally aroused even this peaceable, long-suffering 
Nation.^ The worm turned. The secret society of 
the Boxers took " China for the Chinese " as its 
motto, and to '' drive out the foreigner," or, at least, 
curtail his rapidly growing power, became its object. 
This society gained in force and grew in volume until 
it reached the Capital. Here, from the obscure classes 
among which it had its origin, it spread to the upper 
stratum of society and had followers among the high- 
est in the land. Certain Princes of the Imperial 
Family even joined the ranks— among these latter 
the father of the next heir to the Throne, the Prince 
Tuan. These gave the movement an added force and 
made of it a patriotic effort. 

Then from smoldering discontent, it burst into 
open acts of violence against the foreigners. The 
final spark which caused the outbreak in the Capital 
and the attack upon the Legations is said to have 
been the report, which gained immediate credence 
among the discontents, that the Foreign Ministers 
were going to interfere with the Government itself, 
and ask for a change in it; that they were to 
insist upon the Empress Dowager's retiring from the 
management of State affairs. This interference, by 
the foreigners, with the sacred prerogatives of China, 
as a Nation; this attempt at the removal of the 
Person of one of its Sacred Rulers, aroused the 
people to a wild fury. Without waiting to find out 
the truth of this report, and thinking, in their blind 
ignorance, that by getting rid of the representatives 
of the Foreign Powers, they might then be left in 
peace, the mob first attacked and killed the German 

264 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

Minister, the Baron von Ketteler, as lie was on his 
way to the Tsung Li Yamen, which the Wai-Wu-Pu 
now replaces. Then followed the general attack on 
the Legations. 

The movement then became a veritable torrent, 
rushing madly along, dashing aside all opposition 
and overwhelming right and reason. 

The Emperor and Empress Dowager, power- 
ful and autocratic as they are, could not stem the 
current, and only by going with it could they ever 
hope to bring judgment and reason to the surface 
again. No ruler in the world can or ever has been 
able to stop an uprising of his people when the lat- 
ter felt they had right on their side or had been 
downtrodden or oppressed. Their Celestial Majesties 
were obliged to wait until the popular fury had 
somewhat abated before they could even attempt it. 
No sane person could believe that the Empress Dowa- 
ger, with her natural intelligence and after thirty years 
of government and knowledge of foreign methods, did 
not know that this attack on the foreign represen- 
tatives by the Chinese people would bring on severe 
reprisals. But she was powerless to do more than 
she did at the time. Their Majesties could not go 
against the people in their maddened state of mind. 
They hoped by joining the Imperial forces to the 
wild insurgents that these seething masses might be 
brought to reason. The mob was given a semblance 
of right by a declaration of war on the part of the 
government after the forts of Taku were taken loj 
the foreign war-ships (which was really the first 
act of war of this unfortunate episode). 

265 



With the Empress Dowager 

When I saw the position of the Legation quarter 
and especially that of the British Legation, where 
all the foreigners finally congregated — open to attack 
on every side, lying under the very walls of the 
Palace and the Imperial City — I felt convinced that 
had there not been some restraining force within 
their own ranks, the Chinese could have wiped out 
the foreigners in less than a week. Bad firing on 
their part could only have averted, for a short space, 
the inevitable result to the Legations. Had there not 
been some power that was acting as a check upon 
the Chinese, no European would have been left to tell 
the tale ; and this restraining force I feel confident 
came from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager 
themselves. 

The Empress Dowager (with the Emperor) was at 
the Summer Palace, as usual, during the summer of 
1900. Though urged by her ministers and the 
Princes to remain there, where she was out of danger 
or could easily escape at its approach, she insisted on 
returning to the Capital and went into the Winter 
Palace a week before the Allies reached the city. 
She hoped as a '' dernier resort " that the presence 
of the Sacred Persons, Their Majesties, in the city 
might serve as a check upon the soldiers and people, 
now maddened by their own fury; for the Imperial 
troops, instead of checking the insurgents and leav- 
ening the masses by their right and reason, had, 
instead, become imbued with the same spirit as the 
Boxers themselves ! But the Empress Dowager, on 
this occasion, counted too strongly on her popu- 
larity and upon the respect that the people felt for 

266 



#>i 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

the ^' Sacred Persons," for even after their return to 
the Capital, even Their Majesties' presence — even the 
issuing of Imperial edicts posted all over the city for 
the people to protect, or at least cease their attacks 
on the Legations — were powerless to do more than 
intermittently check the attacks. 

Finally the Allies reached and entered the city ! The 
Empress Dowager, discouraged and finding herself 
powerless, finally succumbed to the fears of her entou- 
rage for her Person. She, herself, became almost panic- 
stricken at the thought of falling into the hands of 
the foreigners, whose depredations and cruelty to the 
Chinese on that memorable march from Tientsin had 
all been reported to her with the usual exaggerations. 
Her indomitable spirit was broken. She consented, 
in an agony of womanly fear, to fly. She was disguised 
as a common woman, her long finger nails, which 
would have revealed her exalted rank, were cut off, 
and, in a common cart, she made her escape from the 
city. As she had refused to go until the last moment, 
everything at the Palace was left in the wildest confu- 
sion. Neither her jewelry, nor hardly sufficient cloth- 
ing, was taken. She did not leave the Palace until 
several hours after the foreign troops had passed the 
Water Gate and were already within the walls of 
the English Legation. She had held out as long as 
possible. 

The memorable flight to Singan Fu began that 
night. The Court was accompanied by a regiment of 
Imperial troops, but such was their demoralized con- 
dition, so many Boxers were among the soldiers, that 
rank insubordination prevailed. Neither the officers, 

267 



With the Empress Dowager 

nor even the presence in their midst of the Sacred 
Persons, served as any check upon the soldiers. The 
greatest confusion prevailed. The maddest of the in- 
surgents had begun to look forward to retribution and 
to realize that punishment would be inevitably visited 
upon them either by the foreigners or by the Chinese 
Government when things calmed down, and this 
thought seemed but to madden them further. 

As the flight led the Imperial party through the sec- 
tion of country where the society of Boxers had the 
greatest number of adherents, the people, in many in- 
stances, refused food and shelter to the Imperial fugi- 
tives. They felt the Court had been against them and 
for the foreigners. Prince Su, in his account of the 
journey to Singan Fu, relates that neither Her Majesty 
nor the Emperor had enough to eat ; that the soldiers 
stole the food that was prepared for Their Majesties. 
I heard at the Palace that it was only His Majesty who 
suffered the pangs of hunger. He, as well as aU in 
the great company that formed the Court party, de- 
prived himself rather than see the Empress Dowa- 
ger suffer. I heard Her Majesty say that the Em- 
peror's food was stolen, and she did not know for 
several days that he was depriving himself for her. 
She thought all the Imperial party had her own, 
meager enough allowance. 

The Empress Dowager saw and heard many new 
and strange things on that memorable journey, but 
she bore it all bravely. After the first panic of fear, 
her indomitable spirit resumed its natural poise. Her 
capacity for seeing the humorous side of things also 
helped her to bear it, and furnished her with a fund 

268 



Her Majesty the Empress Dowager 

of witty anecdotes later, though she once remarked 
that, at the time, she did not appreciate the humorous 
side to its full extent. Their experiences at this time 
were often the theme of conversation among the Ladies 
at the Palace. While I was there they were constantly 
referred to by the Princesses and even by the eunuchs 
of the Court. These pampered individuals had then 
their first experience with the hardships of the outer 
world, though, to do them justice, they rarely referred 
to their own hardships, which must have been severe, 
only speaking of what Their Majesties and the Ladies 
had to endure. This flight from Peking to Singan Fu 
marks an epoch in the Palace. Everything is dated 
as before or after that time. After Her Majesty had 
accomplished this perilous journey and borne it so 
bravely, she was given a new title, a dearer, higher one. 
She was called Lao-Tzu-Tzung (the Great Ancestress) 
by her enthusiastic admirers. 

1 Since the above was in type I find the following in F. Laur's 
" Si^ge de Peking." In speaking of the cause of the Boxer rising, he 
quotes Dr. Matignon as saying : 

' ' C'est I'Europe tout enti^re qu'il f aut mettre en cause. C'est parce 
qu'elle n'a pas compris les Chinois, c'est parce qu'elle a cru que ce 
peuple doux, somnolent, passif , pouvait, sans regimber, accepter toutes 
les innovations, toutes les humiliations, que I'Europe s'est laissee en- 
trainer, et par ses missionnaires, et par ses ing^nieurs. . . , 

" Voilk pourquoi le mouvemeut Boxeur s'est produit. Ce mouve- 
ment, c'est I'^veil du patriotisme chinois, avec toute I'intransigeance 
d'un nationalisme aveugle, ignorant, mais legitime." 



269 



CHAPTER XXXI 

THE EMPRESS DOWAGER'S CHARITIES, SENSE OF JUSTICE, 
EXTRAVAGANCE, AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS. 

THE Empress Dowager's charities are extensive; 
she feeds the poor and succors the unfortunate. 
When her sympathies are aroused, she gives freely and 
generously. Her edicts are constantly ordering sacks 
of rice and food to be distributed among the poor 
and sent to districts where famine reigns. There is 
a great refuge in Peking, which she supports, where 
ten thousand poor are succored and fed during 
the year. During the winter, edicts are constantly 
appearing similar to this— commanding "The dis- 
tribution from the Imperial granaries of fifteen hun- 
dred piculs (133 J pounds to the picul) of rice for 
refuges and gruel stations for the poor in North 
Tung Chow." Edict of November 6, 1904. 

She also sympathizes with misfortune, tries to 
right the wrongs she knows of, acd correct the abuses 
that come to her ears. From the "North China 
Herald" of November 19, 1904, I copy the follow- 
ing, and this paper cannot be accused of viewing any 
of Her Majesty's acts with a partial spirit (much to 
the contrary) : 

"During the Boxer troubles a bad character, by the name of 
Wang, owed money to a certain Chinese Mohammedan. Wang 

270 



The Empress Dowager's Charities 

had been frequently dunned, and was finally condemned by the 
courts to pay the debt ; he was, besides, ordered to be beaten, as 
he had been insolent to the Mandarin trying the case. This 
incensed Wang, and he swore vengeance- When the Boxer 
troubles were in full swing in Peking, he became the leader of 
a band of insurgents and led his band to the house of the 
Mohammedan whom he had been forced by the courts to pay. 
Wang and his band massacred not only his old enemy, but 
eleven members of his family ; lea^-ing only a young daughter- 
in-law who had hidden in a loft and saw the whole tragedy ; she 
also saw them march off, carrying, on spears, the heads of the 
old man and four of his sons. 

" The poor daughter-in-law escaped from Peking soon after, 
and was not able to return there until a few months since, in 
1904. She discovered the dwelling of the murderer of her hus- 
band's family, and had a petition drawn up on the subject. 

'■^ One day when Her Majesty was proceeding from one Palace 
to another, the young widow threw herself before the Empress 
Dowager's cortege. Her Majesty saw the prostrate girl (only 
nineteen years of age), and commanded her guards to ask what 
she wanted. The girl, dressed in deep mourning, held above 
her head her petition, calling for justice against her husband's 
murderers. Her Majesty read the petition, and her brow be- 
came black as night. She called to a eunuch in her train and 
commanded him to take the young petitioner and her petition 
to the 'Board of Punishments,' and deliver the Imperial Com- 
mands that no time be lost in arresting the murderers ; that 
they should be tried, and the result reported to Her Majesty. 
This was done, and on the first of November, 1904, the chief 
murderer Wang, his two sons and a nephew were decapitated 
to expiate their cruel crimes." 

The Empress Dowager is said to be recklessly extrava- 
gant in her own habits as well as in the management of 
Palace affairs. As for extravagance in the Palace, 
bad management doubtless exists, and extravagance 
does prevail. Abuses always creep in where the 
management of great establishments is intrusted to 

271 



With the Empress Dowager 

money-seeking officials, and to eunuchs, as is the case 
in the Palace at Peking. 

Extravagance in the Palace has been the theme of 
Chinese economists for many generations, for hun- 
dreds of years before the Manchu Dynasty came to the 
Throne. Several of the Emperors have themselves 
attempted to stem this extravagance by personal 
efforts and private economy, but to no avail. It is 
related of one Emperor that the sleeve of his State 
robe being a little worn, he called up his Master of 
the Household to ask what a new robe would cost. 
He found that it would cost three thousand taels, and 
as only the right sleeve of this gown was worn (as he 
used his arm a great deal in writing), he decided, in 
order that he might himself show a good example, and 
inaugurate economy, to have a new sleeve made, in- 
stead of ordering an entire gown. He gave his com- 
mands, in consequence, and the gown was taken out 
of the Palace and remained several months. When it 
was returned, what was His Majesty's astonishment 
and chagrin to find that the cost of the new sleeve 
had exceeded that of a new gown ! 

In his walks outside of the Palace, another Emperor 
bought an article of food for a few pence. The next 
time he had it in the Palace he asked what the dish 
cost and was told it was " four taels." When he re- 
monstrated, saying what he had paid for it outside of 
the Palace, his Master of the Household told him it 
was impossible to have it '' inside " the Palace or on 
His Majesty's table at any less than the sum of four 
taels. If His Majesty wished it for a few pence. His 
Majesty might buy it outside the Palace and bring 

272 



Her Extravagance 

it in himself for that sum, but no one else could 
bring it inside for the price it could be bought out- 
side, as it had to go through so many official hands 
before it reached His Majesty's table, that it actually 
cost the sum of four taels. 

After several efforts of this kind at reducing the 
Palace expenses, even these wise and economical Em- 
perors were obliged to give it up. If these Emperors 
of ancient times, when the Palace was conducted on 
more simple lines than it is to-day, were powerless to 
check extravagance in the Imperial household, how 
much more difficult must it be to do so now that the 
system has become petrified with age— especially for 
the Empress Dowager, who can never go outside and 
see things for herself ! It is said that each egg at 
Their Majesties' table costs three taels, but Palace re- 
form, necessary as it is, must come from without, 
from the officials, and no private effort of Their Maj- 
esties can change things. 

As for the Empress Dowager's personal extrava- 
gance, aside from present-giving, I saw no evidence of 
it. Her wardrobe, in point of actual cost, aside from 
her jewels, would not be superior in price to that of the 
wives of some of our American millionaires ; for the 
styles do not change in China, and furs and embroi- 
deries are handed down from generation to generation. 
Her jewels, even, are not more gorgeous or more numer- 
ous, though they are more unique, than those of any of 
the European sovereigns. She has an immense num- 
ber of pearls— for the pearl is her favorite precious 
stone, besides being the jewel of the Dynasty— but she 
has no diamonds, no emeralds, and very few European 

273 



With the Empress Dowager 

precious stones. She has a quantity of fine jade jewels, 
but these, as well as pearls, are cheaper in China than 
elsewhere. 

I saw several incidents which seemed to point 
rather to personal economy on Her Majesty's part 
than to extravagance. While I was painting one of 
the portraits, she decided that the trimming on the 
gown must be changed. She had bolts of different 
kinds of ribbon brought in to select from and finally 
decided upon a certain piece. She called a maid to 
sew some around the neck. When I wanted to have 
this piece cut off, so that some might be sewed 
around the hem where it was also visible, she said the 
ribbon had better not be cut, for it was a " hand- 
some piece," and, if cut, it might spoil it for use in 
" trimming another gown." These pieces of ribbon and 
embroidery come in lengths for one dress only. One 
day when she was drinking some fruit juice, her hand 
slipped on the polished jade bowl and some of it fell 
upon the front of her jacket. She was most annoyed, 
and after several ineffectual attempts of her own and 
the attendants to remove the spot, she said she had 
heard that the foreigners had some wonderful proc- 
esses of cleaning and she must have them investi- 
gated, for it was too bad to have a thing spoiled by 
an accident of that kind when a good garment was 
rendered useless for any one ! 

She had the good of China at heart and was really 
a patriot ; in fact, I observed more patriotism, more 
National pride among the people I saw at Court, than 
I ever noticed elsewhere in China. I feel convinced 
the Empress Dowager has strong National feeling and 

274 



Personal Characteristics 

really loves her country, and is as patriotic a Chinese 
as there is in China. When there were internal 
troubles, or exterior complications, she seemed to be 
really worried and to grieve, as if it were a personal 
thing. She made mistakes, of course, and grave 
ones, but when it is remembered that her knowledge 
of what takes place " outside," comes entirely from 
the reports made to her, that she has no opportunity 
of seeing things for herself, it seems wonderful she 
does not make more. 

Last winter a new scheme of taxation, by which the 
revenue would be largely increased and which taxa- 
tion would be scarcely felt by the people, was pre- 
sented to Their Majesties for consideration. Her Maj- 
esty soon grasped the entire scope of the scheme 
and thought it good and feasible ; but though the pay- 
ment of the foreign indemnity made it imperative to 
increase the revenue by every means possible, she 
hesitated over the inauguration of this new scheme, 
fearing it might give the officials a new opportunity 
to oppress the common people, for it is not the laws 
that oppress the people in China. This is done by the 
officials who enforce them. She evidently realized 
this power that the officials have of ^' squeezing " the 
people, and she wished to be assured of the manner 
in which this taxation would be enforced before she 
gave her consent to the scheme. At the first presen- 
tation to her of this plan of taxation, she repeated 
several times, ^^ I fear it may harass the people ; we 
cannot harass the people 5 they have enough burdens 
to bear." She was not so particular about not 
harassing the Ofiicials, for they were called upon all 

275 



With the Empress Dowager 

over China to make great contributions to the 
Imperial Treasury for the purpose of assisting in 
paying the foreign indemnity. 

Notwithstanding her penetration of character, her 
naturally good judgment, she made mistakes in her 
appreciation of those who surrounded her ; but this 
was not strange, for she had almost no opportunity 
of seeing them in their true light. She was a good 
physiognomist, but one cannot always trust to phys- 
iognomy. She was in the habit of giving all who sur- 
rounded her a certain amount of latitude, until they 
came to rely on her favor and revealed themselves in 
their true light to her. Then she would quickly suppress 
them or cast them aside. This often seemed cruel and 
heartless. She sometimes would take another's estimate 
of a character which she had favorably judged, for, of 
course, there is a great deal of jealousy and intrigue 
among her entourage, and she was influenced by re- 
ports that she heard ; for she was obliged, in order to 
form an opinion, to listen to the gossip of the Palace. 
Her own penetration, however, would generally come 
to her aid and, in the end, her judgment would right 
itself. 

She had strong prejudices, and often allowed herself 
to be deceived by the favorites to whom she had given 
her confidence. After several preliminary trials of 
their character, and when she thought she had arrived 
at a proper estimate of it, she was an easy victim. 
These favorites could then act with impunity, and she 
was sometimes made the dupe of their schemes. Thus 
Ministers, courtiers, friends, and attendants, who had 
once thoroughly established their positions with her, 

276 



Personal Characteristics 

could often get the advantage of her and impose upon 
her natural acumen. 

She could be most sarcastic, sometimes cruelly so, 
but I generally found there was some reason for her 
sarcasm. She was very impulsive and had her share 
of temper, but there was never any unladylike display 
of it. When she was angry her voice was never 
raised ; it simply lost its silvery sweetness and took 
the quality of some ordinary metal, and she was always 
quiet and well-bred. 

From what I saw of the Empress Dowager, it seemed 
to me she would not brook interference in the accom- 
plishment of a design she had set her heart upon— 
that she would not hesitate even at crushing an in- 
dividual who stood in the way of the realization of 
some plan she had fixed upon. But her judgment was 
so good, she did not decide upon a thing unless she 
felt it was absolutely imperative to carry it out. 

As for tact and social savoir, she is remarkable. I 
never knew any one to possess these qualities to a 
greater degree. At her first Audience to foreigners, 
Sir Claude MacDonald, in reporting it, spoke of the 
Empress Dowager as ^^ a kind and courteous hostess, 
who displayed both the tact and softness of a womanly 
disposition." Lady Susan Townley says of her: 
^^ Where has she learned the ease and dignity with 
which she receives her European guests ? " These opin- 
ions of her social tact, so far as I could learn, are held by 
all the members of the Foreign Legations in Peking. 

When the young Prince Adalbert of Prussia was re- 
ceived in special Audience by Their Majesties, on his 
visit to Peking, he was accompanied not only by the 

277 



With the Empress Dowager 

German Minister and his staff, but by a number of of- 
ficers as his personal escort. This made an unusually- 
large number of presentations necessary. I have been 
told that at the Audiences of the Diplomatic Corps, 
where only gentlemen were present, the Empress Dow- 
ager had a sort of shyness and did not show the same 
ease of manner as when she received the ladies. But 
at this Audience of the young Prince she became in- 
terested in talking with him, and I heard one of the 
gentlemen who was present say it was the first time 
he had seen Her Majesty thoroughly at ease at one of 
the Audiences to the Diplomatic Corps, and that on 
that day she was perfectly charming, seeming to take 
the liveliest interest in questioning the young Prince 
and conversing with him in a motherly way, and that 
he then realized to its full extent her wonderful charm 
and her great social instinct. 

I have heard it said that the Empress Dowager puts 
all this charm on for these occasions; that she is a 
consummate actress, but during the whole time I was 
in the Palace I never saw her other than the charming 
hostess, considerate of the comfort of those who sur- 
round her and readily sympathizing with sorrow, and 
I have seen her under all circumstances, at Audiences 
and in private, in anxiety and sorrow and in joy. She 
was too great a lover of Nature in all its phases to be 
cruel and heartless, and I am convinced she is really 
genuinely kind. She apparently greatly admired intel- 
ligence, and goodness always seemed to appeal to her. 
She was ever a fascinating study, and her magnetic 
personality full of charm. I found her thoroughly 
human and perfectly womanly. 

278 



CHAPTER XXXII 

THE CHINESE NEW YEAR— OFFICIAL AUDIENCE 

THE Chinese New Year, the greatest of the popular 
festivals, is, of course, celebrated with much pomp 
and enthusiasm at the Palace. Splendid decorations, 
hundreds of beautiful horn lanterns, with their long, 
red silk tassels, the great red "Sho" emblazoned 
on their sides, made the courts and verandahs gay 
with color. Painted figures of red-clothed gods 
regarded one at every turn. Hideous monsters with 
vermilion faces, painted on the outside doors, bran- 
dished spears to frighten away the bad spirits. There 
were the usual gala representations at the Theater ; and 
the Palace, as at all festivals, was filled with visitors. 

The Chinese pay all their debts at the New Year. 
If they have not the ready money to do so, they will 
dispose of anything valuable they have, in order to 
begin the New Year free from debt. It is considered 
tempting Heaven to begin it otherwise. A great deal 
of silver imitation money is exchanged at this season. 
This is an old custom and supposed to bring abundance 
during the year. At the New Year, present-giving 
reaches its culminating point in China. Every one, 
rich and poor, high and low, gives presents then. 

Their Majesties not only gave to aU the Ladies and 

279 



With the Empress Dowager 

Princesses, but to every inmate of the Palace, and even 
the beggar at the gate was not forgotten ; but the pres- 
ents exchanged at the New Year are never so hand- 
some as those given for a birthday. The presents the 
Empress Dowager received on this occasion were prin- 
cipally flowers (her Throne -room was full of them, as 
well as her private apartments)— dwarf fruit-trees 
twisted into fantastic shapes, laden with fragrant blos- 
soms and splendid plants of peonies in full flower, and 
countless vases of the Chinese Lily, as they call the 
Narcissus in China. The Empress Dowager tried to 
be cheerful and not dampen the gaiety of the Festival 
by her alarm, but the long-looked-for and much- 
dreaded war between Russia and Japan had then 
actually begun, and she was mortally anxious ! The 
Japanese were already in Manchuria, and no one knew 
how it might affect China ! 

Though I did not work on the portrait during the New- 
Year's festivities, it was now really advancing. When 
Her Majesty saw how the hands looked when they were 
di'awn in, with the palms of the hands hidden by the 
long fur undersleeves, in the position I had dared to find 
fault with at the first sitting, she at once suggested hav- 
ing the fur undersleeves taken off, but she still said 
nothing about changing the position of the hands, 
though I saw she had her doubts about them, and I 
felt confident her good taste would finally prevail and 
she would want them changed. T painted them in with 
a thin wash of color, knowing they would be changed 
later. A few days after this, she remarked that my 
'^ idea about the position of the hands was not bad," 
and suggested that the left hand "would look well on a 

280 




\^,^^^ 









The Chinese New Year 

cushion." I made this change in the small study, much 
to her satisfaction, and then did the hands likewise in 
the large portrait. 

The New- Year festivities were hardl}^ over before the 
Empress Dowager decided to move the Court to the 
Sea Palace. This Palace, though not so much a favorite 
with her as the Summer Palace, she liked better than 
the Winter Palace ; the latter's small, shut-in courts, 
walled-in walks, and rigid traditions seemed to depress 
her. At the Sea Palace she had gardens for her prome- 
nades and there was a lake. It was not so beautiful as 
the Summer Palace, but was an improvement over the 
Winter Palace. 

This move to the Sea Palace necessitated another 
change of studio for me, just as I was comfortably in- 
stalled in my quarters in the Winter Palace, and had 
begun to progress with my work. I knew I should be 
obliged to have the new place arranged with upper 
glass windows and that I would again lose time, and 
the date of the opening of the St. Louis Exposition 
was approaching ! But there was no help for it ; I must 
go with the Court to the Sea Palace. I was told that 
there I was to have a magnificent pavilion on the lake, 
with a perfect light for painting. As to the pavilion's 
being magnificent, I had no doubt, but I did doubt, 
from past experiences, whether the light would be all 
that could be desired. 

One morning our chairs carried us to the Sea Palace 
instead of to the Winter Palace. All my painting- 
things, materials, canvases, as well as Her Majesty's 
Throne, on which she was seated for the portrait, had 
been moved. Not the smallest piece of paper, nor 

281 



With the Empress Dowager 

even a bit of charcoal was missing. I had painted 
until the last moment at the Winter Palace, the day 
before ; and early the next morning my things were 
in perfect order— the portrait on the easel, and 
the Throne in the proper position in my quarters 
at the Sea Palace. It was an '^Aladdin's-Lamp " 
move. 

The group of buildings that had been set aside for 
my painting fronted on the lake, and were really 
charming, but the overhanging verandahs to each 
pavilion forced me again to have the upper windows 
put in. After this was accomplished, it was the best 
working-room I had ever had at any of the Palaces. 
The days were getting longer and the light better, 
and I hoped now to soon finish the portrait. 

A few days after the Court moved to the Sea 
Palace, the members of the Corps Diplomatique were 
received in Audience to present their congratulations 
to the Emperor and Empress Dowager on the occasion 
of the Chinese New Year. They were received in the 
Great Audience Hall -, but the ladies of the Legation, 
whose reception took place the following day, were 
received in Her Majesty's Throne-room opening on 
the Court of the large Theater at the Sea Palace. 
As it was cold, the Theater and its court were entirely 
inclosed and roofed over in glass, in panes of about a 
foot and a half square. On each pane was painted, 
in red, the ever-present character "Sho" (longevity), 
surrounded by five bats. The marble pavement of the 
court and the steps leading up to the Throne-room 
were carpeted in red ; and when the great doors were 
thrown wide, there was a good effect of size given, 

282 



official Audience 

although this Throne-room was one of the smallest in 
the Sea Palace. 

As this was to be a formal reception, several mem- 
bers of the Wai-Wu-Pu were present as interpreters. 
The ladies of the Legation were presented by the 
Baron Czikan, the Austrian Minister, Doyen of the 
Corps. He made a graceful address in French, wish- 
ing Their Majesties a Happy New Year, and China 
much prosperity. This was translated into Chinese by 
one of the Secretaries of the Wai-Wu-Pu. The Em- 
press Dowager replied for herself and the Emperor, in 
Chinese. Her Majesty's words were interpreted by 
His Excellency Liang Fang, a good French scholar. 
Then the Doyen presented the ladies individually, and 
the usual order of ceremonies followed. When the 
presentations were over, the Doyen, foreign attaches 
and interpreters, with the Chinese officials, repaired 
to the hall which had been set aside for their luncheon, 
while the ladies, accompanied by the Princesses, went 
to their repast in another part of the Palace ! 

Only a few days after this, came the lantern 
festival; but this was not an interruption to my 
work, for I painted all day, and only went to the 
Theater for the final piece and the spectacular tableau. 
We dined in the Imperial loge, and after dinner 
there were beautiful lantern and torch-light proces- 
sions. In the court opposite the Throne-room where 
we dined, there was a beautiful pai-lou of transparent 
gauze, painted in charming designs, illuminated from 
within, and hung with luminous flowers and quaint 
lanterns. Tall eunuchs, in gala red, stood around the 
courts, holding great lanterns aloft, like huge carya- 

283 



With the Empress Dowager 

tides with luminous burdens. Others with fanciful 
vermilion lanterns wound in and out through cor- 
ridors and courts. When they reached the court of 
the softly glowing pai-lou, they manoeuvered and made 
intricate designs and luminous tableaux, holding aloft 
their red-globed lanterns to form characters and 
phrases of " felicitous omen." These huge, luminous 
characters were wonderfully accurate. 

After the torch- and lantern-lit processions, and the 
glowing tableaux, a pair of illuminated dragons 
writhed into the court and struggled for the ^'flaming 
pearl," which flitted around with elusive fantastic 
movements, ever beyond their grasp. I was not able 
to find out the origin of the Imperial legend of the 
Double Dragon and the Flaming Pearl, representa- 
tions of which appear everywhere at the Palace on 
whatever is meant for Imperial use, or for any official 
function over which the Emperor is supposed to 
preside. It is on aU the Thrones of the Dynasty ; it 
adorns the Imperial pennant; it is cut into stone, 
carved into wood, and painted in pictures. It decorates 
the gowns of the higher officials, and is embroidered 
upon the Court dresses of the Ladies of the Palace. 
At the Birthdays of the Emperor and Empress, and 
at all Dynastic celebrations there are realistic repre- 
sentations of the immortal struggle where the Double 
Dragon strives to absorb the " flaming pearl." The 
significance of the legend seems to be : The Double 
Dragon represents the Powers of Earth or Evil which 
try ever to absorb the Flaming Pearl, Emblem of the 
Dynasty, symbol of Heaven or Perfection. The 
Flaming Pearl, the Unattainable, keeps ever beyond 

284 



official Audience 

and above their grasp, seeming to serve always as an 
incentive for further effort. 

For a fortnight after the lantern festival, there 
were fireworks every night on the banks of the lake. 
We would dine in the Throne-room, and then Her 
Majesty and the Emperor, accompanied by the Ladies, 
and attended by the usual number of eunuchs (each 
bearing transparent horn lanterns), would go through 
the courts and paths of the garden to the lake, on the 
banks of which the fireworks were sent up. Here, in 
full view of the set pieces, stood four large, roomy 
sleds. When the lake was frozen, these sleds were 
used to push Their Majesties and the ladies over its 
glassy surface. They had not been used as sleds 
this winter, for the ice had not been sufficiently 
firm, the winter having been comparatively mild. 
But when the lake was well frozen, as is usual at this 
season in Peking, Their Majesties viewed the fire- 
works from these sleds as they skimmed along over 
its smooth surface. There was a sled for each of 
them— one for the Empress and second wife, and 
one for the Princesses. They were cloth-covered, 
lined with fur, and had great fur rugs. There were 
seats around the three sides; the wadded curtain, 
with its large square of plate glass that hung down 
over the front; was taken off for the fireworks. 
Their Majesties occupied each of theirs alone, but 
the Empress had several of the Ladies in hers. 

The fireworks were superb. There were beautiful 
set pieces, pagodas, with ladies on balconies, pavilions 
with grapevines, wistaria arbors, and beds of flowers 
so lifelike they seemed to grow at the side of the 



285 



With the Empress Dowager 

luminous cascades, and many other effects I had never 
seen before in fireworks. One day, during the time 
of the lantern festival, we had fireworks in the brilliant 
sunshine. When these day rockets exploded, all sorts 
of curious paper devices fell to the ground— fish dragons 
and animals, as well as flags and baskets. When 
anything interesting was revealed, Her Majesty would 
send the eunuchs to pick it up as it fell and bring it 
to her that she might examine it. Many fell outside 
the Palace walls, and she said these would give 
pleasure to the " poor people outside." 

Formerly, at these fireworks in the Palace to cele- 
brate the lantern festival, the public was admitted 
into the Inclosure, but this practice stopped when 
the two Empresses were Co-Regents for the first 
boy Emperor, Tung-Chih. As this was coincident 
with the establishment of the first Foreign Legations 
in Peking, the latter fact may have had some influence 
in changiing the custom. The Chinese people were shut 
out because it was feared that the foreigners might 
also come into the Precincts. These beautiful fire- 
works I could enjoy without any qualms of conscience, 
for I could not paint at night, and they were con- 
sequently no interruption to my work. 



286 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

CONTINUATION OF THE ST. LOUIS PORTRAIT— SPRING 
DAYS AT THE SEA PALACE 

THERE began now to be some discussion as to 
what would be the most propitious date for fin- 
ishing the portrait. I had thought I might finish 
when I could, but this was not to be the case. The 
almanacs were consulted, and it was decided that 
the nineteenth day of April would be an auspi- 
cious time to finish and before four o'clock ! The 
Empress Dowager informed me of the ^' happy 
augury " of this date and asked me if I thought it 
possible to finish then. Not only had the date for 
beginning the portrait been carefully chosen, but 
there was much deliberation as to the proper time for 
finishing! Her Majesty seemed very anxious until 
she received my reply as to whether it would be pos- 
sible to finish at this happy date, for I could not say 
at first, as I had never thought of finishing at any 
particular moment ! When I finally told her I could 
finish it before four o'clock, April 19th, she was de- 
lighted. She said '^ How good " and asked me to 
please " not disappoint her." As the portrait neared 
completion she came very often to the studio and 
watched over the painting-in of all the accessories, 
which she seemed to consider quite as important as 



287 



With the Empress Dowager 

the likeness itself. As she was tired after the Audi- 
ences, she gave me two or three sittings at this time 
before she went to the Audience Hall, and I painted 
from half -past six to eight a.m. for two or three days. 
The jewels in the head-dress, all official, were the sub- 
ject of much deliberation. After a jewel was painted 
in, she would decide she did n't like it and that some- 
thing else would be better. She seemed to think it 
was as easy to take it from the picture as to remove 
it from her person. All these requests for changes 
were so graciously made, I never complained. She 
would sometimes say, '^ I am giving you a great deal 
of trouble, and you are very kind." I did n't mind 
the trouble, only these changes took away the fresh- 
ness of the painting and did not add to the artistic 
effect of the picture. 

Her Majesty ordered a magnificent frame for the 
portrait. She, herself, made the design. The Double 
Dragon at the top struggled for the " flaming pearl " 
with the character ^' Sho " on it. The sides were 
elaborately carved in designs representing the sym- 
bol of '' ten thousand " years with the characters for 
longevity. The frame was to be set in a superbly 
carved stand, as the Chinese do their mirrors. The 
whole, of rare camphor-wood, was made by Her Maj- 
esty's own artisans at the Palace — the most expert 
workmen in China. 

The days were lengthening now, the trees begin- 
ning to bud and the flowers in the courts to bloom. 
The icy fetters that had locked the lake were broken ; 
the boats again glided over its bosom. In the morn- 
ings we no longer had to take the winter " chairs " 

288 



Continuation of the Portrait 

and be carried the long distance from the gates to the 
Throne-room. The comfortable boats once more lay 
moored at the foot of the landing-steps, jnst within 
the gates, and we enjoj^ed again those ideal trips 
across the lake. 

The Empress Dowager began to take long promen- 
ades now and was much out-of-doors. Sometimes in 
the mornings, on our arrival, she would already be in 
the gardens. One day we met her on the banks of the 
lake and made our morning salutations there. An- 
other day, she and the Emperor were inspecting the 
new buildings which were being erected to replace those 
burned during the occupation of Peking b}^ the Allies, 
when Count von Waldersee had his headquarters in 
the Sea Palace. Splendid buildings were being 
erected on the site of those burned. The Emperor 
and Empress Dowager, each with his own suite, care- 
fully visited every part of these new constructions 
and seemed much interested in their progress. Of 
course, the workmen were banished during the visit 
of Their Majesties. One of these new halls was to be 
used for the entertainment of foreigners, when they 
are invited to the Palace, and many concessions had 
been made to foreign ideas in its construction. Let 
us hope it may not lose its Chinese character ! I am 
sure the foreigners will regret this innovation and 
would prefer the typical Chinese interior, even though 
it be less suited to the exigencies of a modern reception. 

Sometimes we would see the Empress Dowager in 
her Japanese "jinricksha." This was a beautiful, 
gold-lacquered affair in dragon form, the two dragons^ 
heads in front. It had splendid gold-lacquered shafts 

289 



With the Empress Dowager 

and wheels — the latter with rubber tires. It was pulled 
by one eunuch and pushed by another, and Her Maj- 
esty seemed greatly to enjoy this novelty for a while, 
but she said she preferred to walk or to be carried in 
her open chair, as a usual thing. 

Two other modern and novel methods of locomotion 
had been installed in the grounds of the Sea Palace. 
There was a small railway, which ran from the outer 
gates to the dwelling Palaces, which had its engine 
and complete running outfit. This had been con- 
structed by some progressive Mandarins, who wished 
to get the Empress Dowager's support for some rail- 
way scheme, but. though she often spoke of how much 
she had enjoyed her one trip on a real railway, her 
spirit was too utilitarian to care for toy pleasures. She 
could n't stand the puffing of the engine, the tiny cars, 
and all this trouble for so short and useless a jaunt. 

There was also in the Sea Palace, as well as at the 
Summer Palace, a number of automobiles, which had 
been presented to Their Majesties by Chinese nobles 
and officials who had been abroad, as examples of the 
curiosities of European civilization. One of these was 
gorgeously fitted up in the Imperial yellow and gold 
lacquer, with the Double Dragon. The body was in- 
closed in glass and there was a throne-like seat within 
for the Empress Dowager. The question of how the 
chauffeur should run the machine standing, as he 
would be obliged to do if Her Majesty were inside, had 
not then been solved. She was, however, willing to 
throw tradition to the winds in this instance, and was 
most anxious to try one of these motor-cars. Her en- 
tourage was, however, bitterly opposed to it, even for 

290 



Spring Days at the Sea Palace 

a short distance in the grounds. They were afraid of 
an accident. She never tried one while I was there, 
but I am confident that her venturesome spirit will not 
rest content until she has had a ride in one of these 
modern carriages. 

In April, kite-flying time begins in China. High 
Officials and dignified literati indulge in the pastime 
as well as children and young people. The popular 
pastimes of the people, as well as their serious occu- 
pations, being always honored in the Palace, kites 
were, of course, sent off by the Empress Dowager and 
the Ladies. The first day the kites were to be flown 
Her Majesty sent for me to come into the garden, 
where the kite-flying was to take place. The kites were 
of paper, wonderfully fashioned, representing birds, 
fish, bats, and even personages. The strings were 
wound on curiously shaped reels and the cleverness 
with which Her Majesty let out the string and manipu- 
lated the kites was wonderful. After she had let 
one go, she graciously handed me her own reel and 
told me she would teach me to fly a kite. I was hard 
at work at my painting when I was called out into the 
garden and I wished to return to it as soon as possi- 
ble ; and as I knew I would not be very clever at kite- 
flying, I begged her to allow me to watch her instead. 
The young Empress and Princesses were also very profi- 
cient in flying them, and Her Majesty flew hers as she 
did everything else, with unusual grace. 

One of these beautiful spring mornings as we were 
softly gliding across the lake, propelled by the grace- 
ful Palace boatmen, I lay back on my cushions revel- 
ing in the scene of quiet loveliness before me and 

291 



With the Empress Dowager 

drinking in the ineffable perfume of the spring, when 
my glance, roaming lazily around in perfect content, 
caught sight of a group of gentlemen on the bank of 
the lake beyond. The rays of the morning sun, glint- 
ing upon the gold of their embroidered costumes and 
touching, with iridescent rays, the peacock's feathers 
upon their hats, revealed their rank and official 
standing. 

As it was a most unusual thing to see gentlemen in 
the Palace Inclosure, I was at once all attention, know- 
ing there must be some important event on hand, espe- 
cially as, on looking closer, I saw one small figure in 
their midst more plainly dressed than the others, 
whom I at once recognized as His Majesty the Em- 
peror. As we slowly approached I saw the Emperor 
go over to a plow to which was hitched an ox, and 
which stood at a little distance off in the field. Fortune 
favored me ! I was to see the Emperor plow the first 
furrow of the year ! For it was only on the morrow 
that the official public ceremony was to take place at 
the Temple of Agriculture, near the great triple altar 
of Heaven. I was to see the private plowing, done in 
the Palace grounds and viewed only by the Princes 
of the Imperial Family and the highest Manchu 
nobles. 

When all was ready the Emperor took the handles 
of the plow and guided it down a furrow marked off 
the ground, and when the furrow was upturned, the 
seed was dropped in. The ox for this ceremony, which 
I had heard was white, was (at the Palace function) of 
a soft doe color. He seemed to have been trained for 
the purpose and performed his part with a dignity in 

292 



Spring Days at the Sea Palace 

harmony with the attitude of all the assistants and 
in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion. 

I was rejoiced to have an opportunity of seeing this 
interesting ceremony and to learn that even this great 
rite, which I had thought, like the sacrifice to the In- 
visible Deity on the triple altar, was only performed 
in the grounds of the Temple to Heaven ; and to learn 
that every custom dear to the people, or incorporated 
in the National life, is observed in the Palace by the 
Emperor and Empress— that His Majesty really 
plants the first furrow of the year and gathers the 
first sheaves of ripened wheat, and that the Ladies 
of the Palace really spin the first silk and pull the 
first fruits. 

The slow movement of the Palace boats was never 
so appreciated by me as on this morning, for I was 
thus enabled to see well this curious National cere- 
mony, which I would never have seen but for the acci- 
dent of the hour of my crossing the lake and the time 
it took to do so ; for, as at all ceremonies where men are 
present, there were, of course, no members of Her 
Majesty's entourage, and none of the Ladies or Prin- 
cesses had ever seen this ceremony ! 



20 

293 



CHAPTER XXXIV 

FINISHING AND SENDING OFF THE PORTRAIT 

THE nineteenth day of April was approaching, and 
the portrait steadily advancing. As it neared 
completion Her Majesty's interest in it seemed to 
grow. She spent a great deal of time in my pavilion 
watching its progress, and expressed herself as much 
delighted with it. A few days before the nineteenth, 
I asked Her Majesty to allow Mrs. Conger to come and 
see it on that day. She immediately consented, and 
invitations were sent through the Foreign Office, not 
only to Mrs. Conger, but to the wives of the Ministers 
and First Secretaries of Legations to come to the 
Palace on the nineteenth day of April, for the pur- 
pose of '^ seeing the portrait of Her Imperial Majesty, 
the Empress Dowager, painted by the American 
artist." 

The ladies of the Legation, of course, responded to 
the invitation, and on the morning of the nineteenth 
the portrait was placed in the splendid frame. Her 
Majesty decided she would receive the ladies first in 
her Throne-room, after which they were to come to 
my studio to see the portrait. As I was still working 
until the '^ fateful hour," I did not go up to the Throne- 
room but awaited the ladies in my own place. Her 

294 



Finishing and Sending the Portrait 

Majesty did not accompany the ladies when they came 
to see the portrait, but she sent the young Empress 
and Princesses to my pavilion to assist me in receiv- 
ing and to lend a proper dignity to the occasion. The 
portrait, in a Chinese milieu, and seen in the light in 
which it was painted, made a better effect than it 
could in any other surroundings. The ladies were, of 
course, much interested in seeing this long-talked-of 
picture— the first ever painted of Her Majesty— and 
the novelty of the precedent, as well as the interest of a 
visit to the Palace, favorably predisposed them, and 
they expressed themselves as most interested in the 
work, finding it a good likeness. The admiration it 
received from the young Empress and the Ladies of 
the Court was almost embarrassing, and the eunuchs 
said it was so lifelike when they passed the windows 
that it inspired the same awe Her Majesty's own 
presence did. 

After the ladies had duly looked at and commented 
upon the portrait, they repaired to one of the halls in 
connection with my studio, where a rejiast had been 
prepared by the orders of Her Majesty. Here, for the 
first and only time, while I was in the Palace, the 
young Empress sat down at the table with the foreign 
ladies, and acted as hostess, and very gracefully she 
filled her role. 

After the visit of the ladies of the Legation, Her 
Majesty informed me that the Princes and nobles, 
whose rank entitled them to enter the Palace In- 
closure, were to come to see it the following day. As 
it would not have been *^ according to the Proprieties" 
for gentlemen to enter the quarters reserved for ladies, 

295 



With the Empress Dowager 

or the buildings where even a foreign lady worked, 
the portrait was, for their visit, carried out into the 
open court of my pavilion. 

To place the portrait in its carved pedestal, it was 
necessary to erect a scaffolding by which the framed 
picture was raised into the air, and then lowered into 
its stand. When all was finally arranged^ the scaffold- 
ing was removed, the debris cleared away, and the 
Princes and nobles, in full dress, came into the court 
to see the portrait. Each one approached the picture 
and closely examined it, even touching the canvas. 
Unfortunately, I could not hear their comments, as I 
only saw the ceremony discreetly ensconced behind a 
curtain, but I could watch their faces and study their 
expressions, though I must confess that they revealed 
very little. 

A young Manchu, who had been attached to a 
Legation abroad and had learned photography in an 
amateur way, had been ordered by Her Majesty to 
make a photograph of the portrait. This was done 
while the Princes and nobles were still in the court. 
When it was photographed, and the Princes had 
retired, the scaffolding was again put up, the picture 
was raised out of its carved wood pedestal and was 
replaced in my studio. All this took the greater part 
of the day. 

Her Majesty was so pleased with the comments she 
heard upon the portrait (of course no unfavorable 
ones were made to her), that she decided to accede to 
the prayers of several of the high officials, and allow 
the Sacred Picture to be viewed by a number of other 
high functionaries. For this purpose, the portrait 

296 



Finishing and Sending the Portrait 

was removed to the Wai-Wu-Pu (Foreign Office) ; for 
many of the highest Officials are not permitted to enter 
the Palace Inclosure. 

At the Foreign Office, not only the high Chinese 
Officials, but the foreign Ministers and their staffs 
were invited to see it. Many of the foreigners went 
in full-dress uniform for this visit, in deference 
to Chinese prejudices. After it had been duly viewed 
by all in Peking of sufficient rank to have that honor, 
it was inclosed in a satin-lined camphor- wood box, 
covered with satin of Imperial yellow, and the box 
was closed with great solemnity. The pedestal was 
placed in a similar box. Each had splendid bronze 
handles and huge circular locks. These boxes were 
inclosed in others, also lined with the Imperial color, 
and were finally ready for shipment. The packing- 
cases, containing the framed picture and its carved 
pedestal, were placed upon a flat freight car, which had 
been elaborately decorated with red and yellow festoons 
of silk. The boxes were covered with yellow cloth, 
painted with the Double Dragon. A special railway 
had been laid from the Wai-Wu-Pu to the station out- 
side the Chien-Men, for it was not considered fitting 
that ordinary bearers^ transport the picture of Her 
Majesty. 

The Officials of the Wai-Wu-Pu, as well as many 
other of the high Officials in Peking, dressed in full 
dress, accompanied it to the station, and stood to watch 
the Sacred Picture start off on its long journey to St. 
Louis. The special train carrying it was met at 
Tientsin by the Viceroy of the Province, surrounded 
by all his official staff. It was there placed with great 

297 



With the Empress Dowager 

ceremony upon the steamer on wliicli it was to make 
the journey to Shanghai, and was accompanied from 
Peking to Shanghai by an of&cial specially appointed 
for the purpose. 

At Shanghai it was received in the same formal 
state and with the same official pomp as at Tientsin. 
It was met at the steamer by the Governor of the 
Province and all his staff and transhipped with great 
ceremony to one of the Pacific Mail Steamers for San 
Francisco. The Sacred Picture was accompanied on 
its journey from Shanghai to St. Louis by a high Offi- 
cial and his suite. A special car conveyed it from 
San Francisco to St. Louis. 

His Imperial Highness Prince Pu L'un, Imperial 
Commissioner and personal representative of Their 
Majesties at the Exposition of St. Louis, awaited the 
arrival of the portrait there, delaying his departure 
for several days in order to be able himself to assist 
at the reception and placing of the portrait. At four 
o'clock on the afternoon of the 19th of June, His 
Imperial Highness and the Imperial Chinese Com- 
mission repaired to the Art Gallery, where the cases 
containing the portrait and pedestal were awaiting 
their presence to be opened. The Director of the 
Art Gallery, the Assistant Director, and several other 
members of the Board of Fine Arts, were also present. 

The cases containing the portrait, one within the 
other, were opened, and finally within the last, lined 
with yellow silk, lay the ^^ Sacred Picture," covered 
with a screen of brocaded satin of Imperial hue. This 
satin cover was ceremoniously removed, and the pic- 
ture was '^ unveiled." The Prince proposed the health 
of Her Majesty and the Prosperity of China, which 

298 



Finishing and Sending the Portrait 

the assistants drank in sparkling champagne. This 
opening of the cases and unveiling of the picture 
lasted from four o'clock to nine p. M. A few days 
later, when the Gallery where it was placed was 
opened to the public, it lost, for the first time since 
its inception, its semi -sacred qualities. Only then 
did it stand upon its own merits and become as 
other portraits. Then, for the first time, it could be 
seen by the ordinary individual— then only it became 
the subject of comment as any other picture at the 
Fair. Then it was open to the gaze of the vulgar and 
the comment of the scoffer. 

At the close of the Exposition, a delegate was sent 
from the Chinese Legation in Washington to arrange 
for the transportation of the picture to the latter place. 
The portrait and its carved support were again placed 
in their satin-lined cases, and it began the journey to 
"Washington. Her Majesty had decided when the por- 
trait was completed to her satisfaction that it would 
be a suitable present for her to make to the United 
States. She thought this would be particularly ap- 
propriate, as the painting of the portrait for the St. 
Louis Exposition had been thought of by the wife of 
the American Minister to Peking, and as it had been 
executed by an American artist. Thus the United 
States received the gift of the first portrait ever painted 
of a Chinese Ruler. 

When the portrait arrived in Washington, His 
Excellency Sir Chentung Liang Cheng, the Chinese 
Minister to Washington, attended by his Secretaries, 
made a formal presentation of the portrait to the 
President, which Mr. Roosevelt received on behalf of 
the United States Government. 

299 



CHAPTER XXXV 

RETURN TO THE SUIVEVIER PALACE 

SENDING off the picture to St. Louis did not sever 
my connection with the Palace, for I had still 
other work to finish ! At the end of April^ a month 
later than usual, the Court moved out to the Summer 
Palace for the rest of the year. The country was 
beautiful, the trees were almost in full leaf, and lilacs, 
blue and white, bloomed everywhere. My garden in 
the Park of the Palace of the Emperor's Father was 
full of them, and over my entrance gate clambered a 
beautiful yellow rose-bush laden with masses of blooms. 
Wild flowers were springing up at every turn, and 
my dog '^ Melah" in his wild races through the park, 
when we were out for our walks, would often start 
up coveys of birds ; or rabbits would scurry away at 
his approach. I went back to my favorite haunts in 
the park, to the summer-house, where upon the thresh- 
old, cut in stone, lay the plaint of the Seventh 
Prince ! It was a delightful change to be in this 
beautiful spot after the four m.onths in Peking, and 
to see Nature everywhere budding into perfection. 
The grounds of the Summer Palace were one maze of 
delight. The peonies in all their royal splendor, the 
fragrant lilac, the stately magnolia, and the budding 

300 



Return to the Summer Palace 

elms, each added their charm to this beautiful spot, 
where everything was lovely. I could not wonder at 
the Empress Dowager's desire to come back again to 
all this beauty. 

A charming studio was fitted up for me at the 
Summer Palace on our return. Her Majesty saw how 
much more satisfactory it was for me to have a proper 
place to work in, where I would be undisturbed, and 
even had she not seen the utility of a studio, I think 
she would have granted my request for one, for she 
was always kind and considerate. Upper windows of 
plate glass were put into the north side of one of His 
Majesty's Throne-rooms, behind the Imperial loge. 
It looked over a charming terrace of the garden. 
The days were long, and it was a delight to live and 
breathe, and the quiet of the studio, where I could 
work at leisure, made me resume my work with 
renewed vigor. 

I began at once to finish up the small sketch of the 
St. Louis portrait, which Her Majesty wished to keep, 
and then to put the final touches on the two portraits 
begun at the Summer Palace. The Throne-room that 
was now my studio had only one disadvantage. It 
was so near the Theater that on theater days I could 
hear the music and the voices of the actors. And on 
those days, the court outside my windows was filled 
all day with eunuchs and Their Majesties' attendants, 
moving to and fro. I decided if it was necessary for 
me to go into Peking at any time, to take a ^'Theater 
day " to do so. 

One Theater day I did go into Peking, and on my 
return to the Summer Palace the next day I found 

301 



With the Empress Dowager 

that His Majesty the Emperor had taken advantage 
of my absence to occupy his Throne-room the day be- 
fore, for I found his Theater program, distinguishable 
by being written on Imperial yellow paper, and he 
had also left a few papers scattered around with 
characters and phrases written with the ^'Vermilion 
Pencil," which may only be used by His Majesty. On 
one paper he had evidently been trying to draw a plan 
of the part of Manchuria where the war operations 
were then being carried on. He had also drawn a 
part of the Great Wall of China, and the dividing line 
between China and Manchuria. 

So the Emperor, notwithstanding his stoical smile, 
his apparent unconcern, was not indifferent to affairs 
in Manchuria. He was watching the course of events 
there, and he probably worried and grieved as much 
as even the Empress Dowager, about what might be 
the result for China. He had probably schooled him- 
seK to appear indifferent. The ceremonies and festi- 
vals at the Palace had been going on as usual, but the 
two central figures of all these functions had their own 
secret anxieties and cares. The Emperor was follow- 
ing the campaign in Manchuria, and the Empress 
Dowager was probably planning and thinking of the 
best course for China to follow. 

In May, the Empress Dowager had another Garden 
Party for the ladies of the Legation, at which she, as 
usual, asked me to assist. When I went into the Au- 
dience Hall for this reception, a few moments before 
the ladies were to arrive, Her Majesty, after greeting 
me and scanning my toilet, which was all in gray 
without any color, took a pink peony from a vase at 

302 



Return to the Summer Palace 

hand, and pinned it on my dress, saying I needed a 
little color. I had just finished the largest of the other 
three portraits I had painted at the Summer Palace, 
and Her Majesty told me she liked it so much that she 
had decided to show it to the foreign ladies at this 
Garden Party. As I had heard nothing of this plan 
before leaving my studio that morning, I had made 
no preparations for it. The picture was on my easel, 
unframed, and I told her I would prefer it to be placed 
in its frame, before it was shown. This frame, de- 
signed also by the Empress Dowager, and made by 
the Palace workmen, was a magnificent piece of work, 
elaborately carved and beautiful in form. It was in 
the natural color of teak-wood, and this quiet tone 
admirably set off the vivid color of the gown and 
accessories, and was a great improvement to the 
picture. When she heard what were my wishes on 
the subject. Her Majesty said she would see that the 
picture was placed in the frame, and it was arranged 
that as soon as I had finished my luncheon, I would 
return to the studio and overlook things myself, 
and arrange the portrait as I wished. 

The Audience passed off as usual. Immediately 
after luncheon the ladies were invited to go to the 
studio to see the portrait. The Empress Dowager had 
evidently forgotten about my wish to go there first, 
and as she herself, contrary to all precedent, led the 
way, followed by the ladies, I could not, of course, 
precede her. I had not thought that she would 
make such an innovation as to, herself, accompany 
the ladies to the studio. I felt greatly honored, but 
I feared the eunuchs had not arranged things as they 

303 



With the Empress Dowager 

should be, and knew I could do nothing with Her 
Majesty present, and what was my chagrin on reach- 
ing the hall in the wake of the Empress Dowager and 
the ladies, to find that the portrait, though placed in 
the frame as I had desired, was in the center of the 
narrow hall, and every window on both sides had 
been opened to its widest extent, and the light came 
in from all sides ! I had shut off all the lights of this 
hall, except the double windows to the north, where I 
had the upper glasses put in, and this is where the 
picture should have been placed, but as Her Majesty's 
Throne always occupies the center of the Throne- 
rooms, the eunuchs evidently thought that was the 
proper place for her portrait when on exhibition. 
As the halls are narrow in proportion to their length, 
no one could get further off than four feet from this 
life-size portrait. This, added to the cross-lights, 
was heartrending. I was in despair. Her Majesty's 
presence prevented my ordering the eunuchs to 
change the position of the portrait, and, besides, 
every one had already seen it ! The ladies, who 
could not do otherwise than express their admiration 
in the presence of both the August Subject and the 
artist, duly praised the portrait. Her Majesty, who 
knew how it looked in its proper light, and who 
only glanced at it here, did not realize at what a dis- 
advantage it appeared, and was perfectly satisfied with 
the effect. 

An amusing little incident took place while the 
ladies were looking at it. The Empress Dowager, in 
her cursory examination in this light, noticed a part of 
the trimming of the gown where the design was not 

304 



Return to the Summer Palace 

well worked out. She came up to me, as I stood in 
a group of ladies, and pointed out the defect. She 
took my hand in hers, and said in an almost pleading 
way, "There is a bit of trimming that is not well 
finished. You will arrange it for me, will you not, 
Ker-Gunia ? " She did not believe in leaving anything 
to the imagination, and wished every detail fully 
worked out! 

This portrait was very successfully photographed, 
and Her Majesty concluded she liked it much better 
than the one which had been sent to St. Louis. She 
said it would make me "famous." But when I thought 
of how I might have painted this wonderfully in- 
teresting woman in the unique setting in which she 
was placed, I realized that " it might have been " are 
really the "saddest words of tongue or pen." 

The precedent having been established, the idea of 
a representation of the Sacred Person of a Chinese 
Majesty being seen by the world having been ac- 
cepted, the painting of Her Majesty's first portrait not 
having been followed by the dire results that the 
Chinese had prophesied, the traditional prejudice 
was overcome, and when she saw how quickly the 
photograph was made of the portrait, and how satis- 
factory it was, she decided she would have the pho- 
tographer try one of herself, and she was not one to 
stop at a single trial. After waiting sixty-eight years 
to see a counterfeit presentment of herself, I know 
she will now indulge this new fantasy of hers to its 
fullest extent, and perhaps some other artist may at 
some time paint her according to western ideas, and 
represent her attractive personality in its best setting. 

305 



With the Empress Dowager 

But there must always be a pioneer, and he it is who 
suffers the hardships and makes the way clear for 
others, which must be my solace and consolation for 
not being able to paint her as I should have liked. 
The Empress Dowager '' consented " to have a por- 
trait of herself painted. Before I finished the first 
one she told me she wanted ^' many," and suggested 
my passing the rest of my life out in Peking. I 
painted four. Who will do the others ? 

I felt I could not go on forever painting portraits, 
according to Chinese traditions, of the Empress 
Dowager. I could not spend my life in this dalliance 
with Oriental splendor. The world beyond the Palace 
gates called me. I hurried to finish my task. The 
last portrait was nearing completion. My sojourn at 
the Palace was drawing to a close. Though I longed 
to be where I might paint in a freer way, I looked 
forward with real regret to leaving the Palace, and es- 
pecially to leaving the Empress Dowager and the young 
Empress, for I had come to really love them. I found 
Her Majesty by far the most fascinating personahty 
it had ever been my good fortune to study at such 
close range. The young Empress was a sweet, kind 
nature, full of dignity and pathos, for whom I prayed 
there might be greater happiness in store than had 
yet fallen to her lot. My sojourn at the Palaces of 
Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager of China, 
my association with herself and the Ladies of her 
Court, I shall always remember as one of the most 
charming experiences of my life. 



306 



^PRUdiy^ 



